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Nigeria to pay special attention to vessels from India, Brazil, S’Africa
Following the resurgence of a new strain of COVID-19, the Federal Government has said it would pay special attention to vessels arriving at Nigerian ports from Brazil, South Africa, and India.
Specifically, the Director of Port Health Services, Dr. Geoffrey Okatubo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mrs. Rakiya Yagboyaju, after the Executive Secretary of the Council, Hassan Bello, paid a working visit to the Port Health Services (PHS) in Abuja.
The statement which was made available to Ripples Nigeria noted Bello’s emphasis on the need to clean up the ports by embracing orderliness, efficiency, and zero corruption.
He described the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) as a useful and important manual that all relevant agencies in the port system should abide by.
READ ALSO: EU advises Nigerian govt to explore dialogue, legal instruments in war against insecurity
He argued that since doing business at the ports was tied to time, there was a need for the Port Health Services (PHS), as the first agency to interact with vessels and crew, to reduce the time spent on board, by performing their inspection between 30 – 45 minutes with a maximum of three officers.
Meanwhile, he maintained that one area of concern, which has heightened corrupt practices at the ports were the vessel agents who provide transportation to inspection agencies, noting that such should be provided by the government or the PHS.
Also, he noted that the PHS was working towards publishing penalties for infractions and was solidly behind the Council, in the performance of its roles and responsibilities.
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