Sanity returning to Apapa-Lagos as electronic call-up system begins – Newstrends
Connect with us

Business

Sanity returning to Apapa-Lagos as electronic call-up system begins

Published

on

Sanity is finally returning to Apapa-Lagos area, where Nigeria’s largest and most thriving ports are located, which was brought to its knees by protracted gridlock.

The gridlock seemed to have defiled several solutions as it had persisted and frustrated many business activities, some of which were forced to relocate out of the area. Many residents have had to abandon their homes too.

The gridlock began to disappear on Saturday following the commencement of the electronic call-up system introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority.

Apapa had in the past several years defied effort to solve its traffic problem; the efforts, including a presidential task team, were blighted by corruption, THISDAY reported.

However, normalcy returned to Apapa following the removal of trucks that littered the port access roads – Apapa Oshodi Express Way and Western Avenue leading to Ijora.

When THISDAY visited both ends of the port access roads yesterday, officials of the Lagos State government and NPA taskforce teams were seen with tow vehicles well positioned to remove erring trucks.

This is the first time that electronic call-up would be deployed to direct truck movement into ports in Lagos.

This automated process, known as Eto App, is expected to permanently restore sanity within the Apapa port corridor by removing the daily traffic congestion, if properly managed.

Meanwhile, port users, operators and Apapa residents were elated by the development. They called on NPA to ensure that the effort was sustained.

A resident, Mr Chukwuma Vincent, said, “If you have been to Apapa in the past you will know what I am talking about. Our businesses went down, property lost value and people were dying.

“We call on NPA to sustain this. I drove through to my house for the first time in many years and I cried. I thought we had no government in Nigeria again. This is worth celebrating and I can only hope it lasts.”

Importers, clearing agents and truck owners also expressed optimism as the electronic call-up system began yesterday. They called for a functional holding bay by shipping companies for return of empty containers.

The NPA had late last year announced the launch of Eto, an Electronic Truck call-up system designed for the management of truck movement and access to and from the Lagos Ports Complex and the Tin Can Island Ports, Apapa, Lagos. The authority said all trucks doing business at the ports would be required to park at the approved truck parks until they were called up into the port through the Eto app. NPA explained that the Eto app will be responsible for the scheduling, entry and exit of all trucks from the ports with effect from February 27. It also stated that about 7,000 trucks had been certified fit for the digitalised call up system, revealing that effective February 27, trucks must approach the ports from a holding bay or truck parks with a bar code to access the ports.

Stakeholders were optimistic that the electronic call-up system would end corruption in the port access management system.

Vice Chairman, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Dry Cargo section, Alhaji Abdullahi Inuwa, said the call-up system would end artificial bottlenecks on the port access roads. However, National Vice President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto, said unless the port access roads were fixed it might not yet be uhuru.

Inuwa said, “I call on all stakeholders to cooperate and allow it work. If that happens, then we will get good result. Actually, if it takes off successfully, it will eradicate corruption, no human contact and other artificial bottleneck. NARTO wishes the authority a successful take-off.

“The motive is to take trucks off the roads, but NPA should involve other garages where trucks are parked in order to successfully decongest the roads.”

Farinto urged the NPA management to be steadfast in enforcing the call-up system. He said the on-going construction of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway must also be completed in good time because there cannot be an effective call-up system without a good road.

“The road should be put in adequate place because there is nothing the call-up can achieve without a proper port access road, ” he said.

Farinto, a former chairman, Tin-Can Island chapter of ANLCA, said shipping companies must be compelled to have functional holding bay for return of empty containers.

According to him, “Shipping companies should put up a holding bay for empty containers because without an efficient holding bay, is there a way the policy can be achieved?

“NPA should also decisively take over the system and prevent the security agencies from hijacking it. They must totally remove human contact but how to achieve that I still don’t know because Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) will still be generated manually.

“Also, there is nothing on ground to show that it will be electronic. Human contact must be completely eliminated because what is happening on the port access roads is an eyesore that is giving stakeholders sleepless nights.”

Business

Naira recovers against dollar, euro, pound closes below N1,600/$1 at official market

Published

on

Naira recovers against dollar, euro, pound closes below N1,600/$1 at official market

The official market observed a modest increase in the value of the Naira against the dollar, concluding at N1,597.24 to $1, marking a 0.34% enhancement from the prior closing figure of N1,602.75 to $1 from the preceding week’s end.

This recent closing figure of N1,597.24 to the dollar signifies the first instance of a rate ending beneath the N1,600/$1 mark since March 5th, 2024.

Additionally, data from NAFEM disclosed a slight rise of 2.20% in forex dealings, reaching $140.45 million as opposed to the $137.43 million noted earlier.

On Monday, within the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window, the naira saw mixed results against major global currencies.

READ ALSO:

The I&E FX window recorded a high of N1640/$1 and a low of N1,400.00, indicating a fluctuation of N240/$1.

In the parallel market, the naira appreciated by 0.78% against the US dollar, trading at N1,608 compared to the previous figure of N1,614 per dollar.

Against the pound sterling, the naira modestly gained by 0.74%, ending at N2,030/£1 from the earlier rate of N2,045/£1.

It also made gains against the euro by 0.58%, closing at N1,725/€1 up from last week’s Friday rate of N1,735/€1.

The country’s foreign reserves saw a slight increase of $2.71 million as of March 14, 2024, amounting to $34.416 billion—a 0.008% rise from the previous day’s reserves of $34.413 billion.

Nigeria’s foreign reserves have been on an upward trajectory for 20 days (approximately 3 weeks), starting from February 13, 2024.

Naira recovers against dollar, euro, pound closes below N1,600/$1 at official market

Continue Reading

Railway

Vandals destroy rail track in Kaduna community

Published

on

Vandals destroy rail track in Kaduna community

Vandals have destroyed a rail track at Chidunu village in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The hoodlums taking advantage of high rate of insecurity in the area stormed the village and reportedly loaded their three trucks with track materials forcefully removed from the rail.

Public Relations Officer for the Northern District of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Alhaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Monday, said two of the truck were stopped and impounded by security agents.

However, a Canter truck driver absconded with a portion of the stolen materials.

Some of the vandals were also apprehended by security operatives around the community.

Abdullahi highlighted the logistical challenges with the urgency to act before nightfall and the volatile nature of the area.

“It was difficult to arrange for logistics to evacuate track rails and sleepers before it got dark,” he said, emphasizing the collaborative efforts with local vigilantes and hunters to bolster surveillance along the affected railway stretch.

“We received a report on Sunday that the vandals were arrested during their illicit operation with two long trucks loaded with rail track materials,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the case has been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation.

“The case is at present with the NSCDC, O.C. Anti-Vandal for further investigation,” Abdullahi stated.

Continue Reading

Business

Panic as CBN set to fire more directors

Published

on

Panic as CBN set to fire more directors

About 12 more directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria are said to have been listed for sacking in a reorganization move by the Governor of the apex bank, Olayemi Cardoso.
This is coming after seven directors were fired last Friday.
Two of the seven terminated directors are currently facing a case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) due to their implication in the Jim Obaze report.
Obaze was appointed as Special Investigator by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to scrutinise the activities of the CBN under the watch of its former Governor Godwin Emefiele.
While the two directors are said to have accepted their fate, the other five are planning to take a legal action against the bank for alleged unlawful termination of their appointments.
The termination letters sent to the seven directors cited “reorganizational and human capital restructuring” as reasons for their dismissal.
The letters stated that they were relieved of their jobs with effect from Friday March 15, 2024.
They were directed to hand over all bank properties in their care to their department’s administrator immediately.
The Nation reported that 12 more directors are set to be dismissed.

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content