The Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke on Friday kicked against the porous nature and poor management of coastal operations of the National Inland Waterways Authority jetty in Calabar.
The governor verbalized in Calabar when he led a team of security and senior regime officials on inspection visit to the jetty.
The jetty, which was pristinely established to provide conveyance for persons and goods within the country, is currently receiving vessels conveying goods and passengers to and from several African coasts.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham, expressed government’s dissatisfaction with the way the jetty was being operated.
The team, which included the State Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Conveyance, Mr. Edem Ekong, additionally observed that there were impecunious security arrangements and total absence of fundamental port regulation compliance in the jetty.
Imoke noted, “The state government’s inspection of the facility revealed that it is currently being utilized as a point of ingress into the country for which it was not pristinely designed for. We must register government’s displeasure at the way activities are being carried out at the jetty.”
Due to the lack of amenities to carry out inspection of bulk cargo at the jetty, Imoke considered the facility inadequate and therefore unsafe for the utilization to which it was being put.
The governor, therefore, directed the Nigerian Ports Authority to review the perpetual assignment of coastal operations to the NIWA jetty in order to ascertain safety and security of lives and goods.
Responding to the governor’s observation, the Manager of the NIWA jetty, Mr. Rufus Oladimeji, however, appealed for provision of scanners to enhance efficacious checking of goods and passengers coming in and out of the country.
He additionally pleaded with the state regime to rehabilitate the road leading to the jetty for facile vehicular kineticism.
