Apapa Customs boss urges police to clear port corridor gridlock, halt stoppage of containers

Controller, Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, has appealed to the newly appointed Commissioner of Police (CP), Ports Authority Police ( Western) Command, Toyin Agbaminoja, to prioritize the free and clear movement of cargo along the port access roads.

Oshoba made the appeal when the CP paid him a courtesy visit at the Command on Tuesday.

The Customs boss emphasized that any stoppage of consignment along the port corridor undermine trade facilitation and the ease of doing business, leading to port congestion and affecting revenue generation.

His words, “I want you to look at this corridor where we are, where our goods pass through. Please, help us keep it safe and clear.

“Any stoppage to any of these consignments along the road goes back to the ports, then you start to have congestion. That affects our revenue. So we want to keep this corridor smooth and free for flow of traffic. I would like you to look into that for us, please.”

Comptroller Oshoba also stressed on the need for collaboration and continuous intelligence sharing to maintain peace and order around the port corridor.

“Customs serves as the second largest source of government revenue. And Apapa Port here is the premier port where most of this revenue is generated.

“If we don’t have law and order in our corridor, you can’t think of generating revenue. So it is key to have continuous maintenance of law and order. Industrial peace and harmony is very key for us.
So we welcome and appreciate any intelligence that will help us maintain the peace of this territory, of our environment, ” he said.

He urged the CP to disregard non-genuine complaints from those he described as malicious informant that can disrupt port operations.

He assured of the command’s cooperation and commitment to building on the existing good working synergy with the Ports Authority Police Command.

Earlier in her remarks, Agbaminoja stated that the purpose of her visit was to familiarize herself with the Controller and Customs operations.

The CP underscored the importance of security at the port, which she described as the country’s second revenue-generating platform.

Agbaminoja also pledged to limit interagency rivalry during her tenure, noting that while the two agencies don’t do the same work, they are working to achieve the same goal.

Assuring of her command’s readiness to serve the port community, Agbaminoja said, “We are here to protect everybody in the port because we all know that the port is the second generating revenue platform of the country. So the security of the port is a very important and vital aspect of our duty and also the security of the people that work in the port.

“So anytime you need us, anytime, be it in the early hours of the morning, in the midnight, in the afternoon, you can just call and we’ll be a call away. I also pledge that we’ll try as much as possible to limit the interagency rivalry, during my stay at the Western Port.

“We are not doing the same work, but we are working to achieve the same thing. So I pledge that we are going to make sure that we all make the Apapa Port a great place.”