By PROVIDENCE OBUH

The Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) has expressed fear over the number of abandoned vehicles in the port, promising to set up committee to address the situation.

Speaking during his maiden visit to the Tin Can Island Port Complex, Managing Director NPA, Mallam Habib Abdulahi, said, “For the exception of the port in Calabar and to a large extent Warri, one major thing that is very peculiar with the Nigerian port, is the number of abandoned vehicles on the road. They are to me, an eyesore. Some how, the vehicles have been there for a very long time; they are carcasses, they are dead things abandoned and nobody is doing anything about them.

“Unfortunately, because of our legal system, it appears that there is nothing we can do, but I think I have to be briefed or may be advised by both the Legal Department and Operations Department on how we can approach these abandoned cars, Abdulahi stated, stressing, “Am going to set up a committee to advise us on how best we could go about this particular problem.”

Expressing further worry, the concerned MD explained that some of the problems are within the authority’s jurisdiction while others are National.

He said, “National in the sense that they are global, because they are affected by the world economic trend and what is happening in the international trade. Anybody who is familiar with the economic trend of the world, would be quite aware that there is economic contraction, therefore there is lack of activities, am happy that even the terminal operators appreciate that.

“There are certain things that are based on constraints and the constraints are not only our own but externally influenced into the system. We will keep the Federal government informed so that they can come up with some polices that may address our problems.”

Commending the TCIP Manager, Barrister Efioita Ephraim, he said, “I have wanted to come out when we first took over the affairs of the organisation but my colleagues, the Executive Director appointed along with me are completely new to the system, I have to give them time to understand and appreciate our problem.”