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| Capt. Dennis Osah, Former President NAMM |
Capt. Dennis Osah, a former President of the Nigerian Association
of Master Mariners (NAMM) has urged the incoming Transport Minister to consider
fixing the ports access roads as top priority.
of Master Mariners (NAMM) has urged the incoming Transport Minister to consider
fixing the ports access roads as top priority.
Osah, in an interview in Lagos that trade would not be complete if
the goods were unable to get to their final destinations on time due to
dilapidated roads.
the goods were unable to get to their final destinations on time due to
dilapidated roads.
“The incoming minister should try and resolve the issue of access
and exit from the ports.
and exit from the ports.
“A situation where ships come into ports and goods are kept in
the port for so long without much hope of evacuating them from the ports to
their users, to their consumers, is not good enough.
the port for so long without much hope of evacuating them from the ports to
their users, to their consumers, is not good enough.
“I don’t know what they may have to do, but they have to take
drastic steps to ensure that goods are able to leave the ports and goods are
able to access the ports again.”
drastic steps to ensure that goods are able to leave the ports and goods are
able to access the ports again.”
Osah said it was sad that such an important issue as repairs of
ports access roads was coming at a time when the nation was experiencing
dwindling revenue from crude export.
ports access roads was coming at a time when the nation was experiencing
dwindling revenue from crude export.
He said it was, however, it was a lesson and a prompting to do the
needful to be able to move containers through more effective and more economic
means like the railway.
needful to be able to move containers through more effective and more economic
means like the railway.
“It is a shame that now we are talking about this at a time when
there is no money; when the crude oil, which is our only source of revenue, has
dwindled and it highly needs funds.
there is no money; when the crude oil, which is our only source of revenue, has
dwindled and it highly needs funds.
“But even so, maybe it is at this time that they should be
planning for things like that, so that when this phase passes and we have more
funds coming, they can start thinking about addressing these issues, so that we
have long-lasting solutions to this situation.
planning for things like that, so that when this phase passes and we have more
funds coming, they can start thinking about addressing these issues, so that we
have long-lasting solutions to this situation.
“We have to go away from such situations where you have a long
line of trailer loads going from one place to the other, when a railway coach
can take about a hundred containers at a time, may be 200 containers at a time
and night and day the trains could be moving.’’
line of trailer loads going from one place to the other, when a railway coach
can take about a hundred containers at a time, may be 200 containers at a time
and night and day the trains could be moving.’’
The master mariner said that if the advice was taken, the issue of
trailers blocking the main arteries to the ports and thereby to the nation’s
economy would be resolved.
trailers blocking the main arteries to the ports and thereby to the nation’s
economy would be resolved.
He said the consideration for the repairs of the port access roads
should not be limited to Lagos ports alone, but should include Port Harcourt,
Warri and Calabar.
should not be limited to Lagos ports alone, but should include Port Harcourt,
Warri and Calabar.
