The Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) says all concessioned port terminals in the country are fully compliant with the provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
The Spokesman for STOAN, Mr Bolaji Akinola, made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
According to him, the ISPS Code, which is being implemented under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies.
“The ISPS Code, which came into force in 2004, prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel and port/facility personnel to detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade.
“The private terminal operators under the auspices of the association have made significant investments in ensuring adequate security measures in their operational areas in full compliance with the ISPS Code.
“The ISPS Code is an essential maritime regulation for the safety and security of ships, ports, cargo and crew.
“For this reason, all private terminal operators at the six major port complexes across the country do not take the responsibilities of ensuring adequate compliance to the provisions of the Code lightly.
“We have made and will continue to make significant financial investments toward ensuring that every operational area assigned to us in the ports are well secured,’’ Akinola said.
He explained further that the terminal operators had invested significantly in technology, patrol vehicles, perimeter fencing and adequate security personnel in ensuring only authorised persons gained access to concessioned terminals.
Akinola said that all the concessioned port terminals across the country had adequate Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) coverage to monitor activities, even as they maintained strict access control to human and vehicular movements.
The STOAN spokesman commended the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the ISPS Code in Nigeria.
He said that both government agencies had been working with the terminal operators in ensuring that Nigerian ports remained compliant with the international port security measures.
Akinola appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen the Marine Police to effectively patrol the port waterfronts to keep intruders at bay.
He also applauded the NPA and the Nigerian Navy for working to ease the gridlock on the port access roads in Lagos.
He appealed to the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to hasten repair works on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Ijora-Wharf Road to ease the pains of port workers, port users and truck drivers plying the routes on daily basis.
“The gridlock persists and there is need for a more drastic action on the part of the Federal Government in addressing the problem.
“We must reiterate the imperatives of good access roads, functional rail network and truck parks as necessary long- term solutions to the present gridlock being experienced in and around the port areas,” Akinola said.
