ANLCA tasks govt on road network to speed up maritime services

…urges Muslims  on nation building…

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

As Muslims in Nigeria and World over celebrate this year’s Eid- El -Fitri marking the end of Ramadan fasting, the federal government has been called upon to fastrack work on the various road construction on maritime routes in the country for the collective economic benefit of government, port users and Nigerians at large.

Iju Tony Nwabunike, National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA), stated this in his goodwill message to Muslims in commemoration of the 2021 Eid- El -Fitri celebration.

Emphasized that further development of the country’s maritime potentials will be a bold step towards economic diversification for job creation, addressing insecurity and positioning our ports for hub status in the West and Central African regions.

He further solicited for round the clock attention to the port routes of Lagos and Eastern ports, to mitigate suffering and extortion, he said:

“While the government is consciously trying to address the Apapa gridlock, i implore that an emergency be declared to expedite the ongoing road construction works. This could come in form of 24 hours work by construction workers especially when the rains subside.

Oshodi-Apapa traffic jam

“Any stop gap solution to Apapa traffic is bound to suffer setback of either extortion or other forms of sabotage until the roads are fully constructed for seamless access to the ports either through Apapa Oshodi Expressway or Apapa Ijora axis.

“I also implore that the Port Harcourt to Eleme axis of the East West road and the adjoining portion leading to Onne Port,where you have a beehive of maritime activities, be attended to in good time for the collective benefits of government and port users.”

Nwabunike stated that as the oil revenue continues to dwindle, the maritime industry as the second highest revenue earner has all it takes to sustain the nation economically.

“This year’s fasting and Eid- El -Fitri celebration are instructive , coming at a time the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had declared that it would deduct N112 billion from oil and gas proceeds for April to ensure continuous supply of petroleum products to the country and guarantee energy security.

“Implications includes not having oil revenue for the federal government to share with the states and local governments.

“This situation is premised on the hike in crude oil prices on the deregulated downstream sector and the need for uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to citizens.”

On maritime safety, Nwabunike harped on the need for increased security attention which the federal government through the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration, (NIMASA) he said is taking the bull by the horns through its planned deployment of deep blue assets later this month.

NIMASA security Vessels

“It is anticipated that this move will go a long way in fighting piracy and other maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea and our country’s territorial waters.

“Safety of vessels, cargoes and crews on our waters have direct impacts on our overall economy since the maritime sector is critical for us in the areas of trade, investment, employment and recreation.

The ANLCA President therefore called on Muslim faithfuls not to return to whatever ungodly thing they have resolved to abstained from during the holy month of Ramadan.

Commended their self denial and commitment in praying for Nigeria at this trying period of economic and security challenges, which according to him will be surmounted together by God’s grace.