NIWA Assures Importers of Safe, Secured, Cargo Shipment to Eastern Port
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Left: Dr. George Moghalu, MD, NIWA with Ag IGP, Usman Alkali Baba
Importers and various categories of cargo owners especially those whose cargoes destination is at the Eastern region of Nigeria have been reassured of a safe and secured sail of their containers from Lagos port to the Onitsha River Port.
Apart from verbal reassurance, the management of Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, has also rekindled the existing collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force, with a working visit to the Acting Inspector General of Police, AIG, Usman Alkali Baba, in his office at Abuja.
The Managing Director of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu, who lead the management team to the Police headquarters, Abuja, intimated the AIG of the need for an elevated maritime security especially as the test run of cargo shipment from Lagos port to the Onitsha River Port, will kick off very soon.
Moghalu explained that the second test-run of cargo shipments from Lagos to Onitsha River Port became imperative in a bid to decongest the Ports in Lagos State as over 60 percent of cargoes arriving Lagos port had their ultimate destination in the eastern region.
The helmsman at the regulatory authority for water transport in Nigeria, Gorge Moghalu, told his host that, “the purpose of our visit is to seek for collaboration and cooperation of the police force to build a synergy in our inland waterways operations, most importantly now that we are about to commence the second phase of the test-run of shipping cargoes from Lagos to Onitsha.”
He expressed gratitude for the cordial relationship that exists between the Nigeria Police Force, NPF and NIWA Inland Police Command, and also appealed for more cooperation in the provision of gun boats, accoutrement and anti-riot equipment.
The Managing Director also appealed for the IG intervention in ejecting some police officers who illegally occupied some of the organization’s premises which by law are under NIWA’s right of way at Onitsha Area Office.
Responding, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Baba acknowledged the cooperation that NIWA had rendered to the inland and marine police, and promised the police will improve on the relationship.
The Acting IGP however was frank on certain request that would require heavy capital vote to fulfill. Hence he declared thus, “to have gun boats is capital intensive but the force will look for a way on how to support NIWA in its areas of operations.”
He however promised to sustain the good working relationship with NIWA in all areas of operations. And added that the police would not withhold any critical means of support within its disposal whenever and wherever the need arises.
Other members of NIWA’s management team hosted by the AIGP were, Barrister Danladi Ibrahim (GM Legal services/Company Secretary, and legal adviser), Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Shettima Zanna, (Head of NIWA Police Command), Alhaji Yusuf Gire (GM Finance and Accounts), Engr Ostia Anazado (Technical Adviser to the MD), Mr Abdullahi Dabai, (GM Human Resources and Admin), Mr Jibril Darda’u, (GM Corporate Affairs), Mr Ibrahim Isyaku Sade, (GM Procurement) and Barrister Nasiru Biyankari, (DGM legal services).
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