Maritime stakeholders express frustration over Tin Can Port gridlock

Stakeholders in the maritime sector have lamented the pain and frustration agents and importers are going through, especially those who have their goods trapped at the port as a result of the chaotic gridlock along the Tin Can Port corridor.

Investigation shows that despite the federal government efforts at decongesting the port by opening more roads, there are still long queues of trucks waiting to enter the port with the road from Tin Can Second Gate to Liverpool taken over by trucks trying to exit the port.

The situation is not different from the Tin Can First Gate to PTML and Coconut areas. The development has also led to a sharp rise in haulage cost by truck drivers.

A clearing agent who operates at the Tin Can Island Port, Emmanuel Onyeme, said despite the disbandment of the Presidential Task Team, the traffic situation still persists due to road blocks mounted by security and traffic management officials as well as the failure of the government to open up the completed portion of the road as promised by the FMOT Permanent Secretary on Friday.

He said, “The traffic situation still remains the same. Although they said they have disbanded the Presidential Task Team, this same set of people are coming out in the night to carry out their normal shady deals.

“Cost of transportation has remained the same. As of this morning, the cost of haulage from Tin Can to Ladipo is N1.7 million because there is no road and the whole place is blocked.”

Also speaking, Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tin Can Island Chapter, Segun Oduntan, said there hasn’t been any respite on the road despite the Minister’s visit to the Tin Can Island Port last week.

He lamented the pain and frustration agents and importers are going through, especially those who have their goods trapped at the port as a result of the chaotic gridlock along the Tin Can Port corridor.

“You need to see how importers and agents are crying, especially those who have goods that are trapped at the port with the high cost of demurrage. So what intervention has the minister made?