Shola Fadeyi
Less than four months when Mr Buba Jibril assumed office as the Tin Can Island Port Manager, he has adopted novel measures , which have boosted security at the Port .
Investigation by the Marine and Economy showed that attacks on vessels that are berthed at the Port , incidents of stealing and pilfering of goods, have reduced drastically , sequel to the strategy put in place by the Port Manager .
He was said to have taken security as one of his top priority areas on assumption of office ,and had to review the security situation immediately , and took measures to improve the situation..
It was gathered that the Port Manager has ensured that the number of Marine Police and the rate at which they patrol the waters and the Berth areas within the Port has increased markedly , while the number of patrol vans, for that purpose has also increased with a view to nipping such attacks on vessels in the bud.
The Port Manager has also been holding constant weekly as well as frequent meetings , with the relevant key stakeholders at the ports, namely the concessionaires , the shipping companies , the Nigerian Customs Service, among others, on the issue of security and other areas of port operations.
He has also impressed it on the terminal operators, which particularly have it as their responsibility to provide security for the cargoes in their custody ,to ensure that they tighten security on such cargoes.
Beyond this, the new Port Management has boosted the level of security at the Port Gate as it has increased the number of the NPA security as well as the Police at the Gate, even as he has ensured that they are frequently changed and well monitored to check compromise.
Apart from making it compulsory for the security personnel to enforce means of identity before port users gain entry into the Port , he has made it mandatory that only those who have genuine business to do, those who wear their face masks and who have been well scrutinized are allowed into the Port for security purpose.
The Port Manager was said to have taken these measures to encourage increase in patronage of vessels as well the number of importers using the Ports.
This is sequel to the fact that the issue of attacks on vessels when at berth by robbers , rogues and other miscreants who approaching the vessels by water, from the neighbouring small localities in Tin Can island in the past , have discouraged some ships from patronising the Port.
The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) , Mr Muhammed Bello- Koko appointed Jibril as the Port Manager of the Tin Can Port on October 2021 , while he assumed office weeks later .
It will be recalled that the NPA Acting Managing Director had also on his inspection of the Port’s facilities last year complained of vandalisation of goods and attacks on vessels berthed at the Port, pledged to ensure that the situation is ameliorated.
The issue of improvement in security was one of the mandates given to Jibril on his appointment as Port Manager.
Jibril was a former traffic manager of Tin Can Port and the Lagos Premier Port, Apapa before he was appointed into his current position.
