… Gives Squatters Final Quit Notice

Squatters lodging and operating illegally within the nation’s seaports have been given marching order to vacate the ports or face the consequences of their actions.

Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Mr. Nasir Mohammed, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Lagos, said the warning became necessary due to the security challenges in the country now.

Mohammed argued that the port remains a security facility and cannot accommodate those without legitimate business.

“Like we mentioned sometimes back, recent security assessments revealed the presence of some squatters and some other unauthorised persons who, for one reason or the other, found their way into the port. Now, we have identified them and what they are doing. Some of them claim to be responsible for providing services to some of our sister agencies in the port.

“So, for that reason, we have written to our sister agencies inside the port, drawing attention to the fact that such persons are not acceptable to remain inside the port. We have written to the Immigration, we have written to the Controller of Customs, Apapa Port. We have written to the Area Commander and the DPO of Apapa Port as well, drawing attention to the existence of some of these persons who in some cases harbour around their offices”, he said.

The port manager noted that the dislodgement of the squatters would be carried out by a combined team of agencies operating at the port.

This is not the first time the authority is carrying out the dislodgement of squatters in the nation’s seaports.

It carried out a similar exercise last year to ensure that unauthorised persons do not use the port to perpetrate any form of criminality.

Meanwhile, the construction of the Gas Industrial Park Project at Ogidigben Port, Warri, Delta State has received a boost with a call on all stakeholders to joins hands in the building of the facility.

Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Alhaji Habib Abdullahi in a statement issued in Lagos said all hands must be on deck to ensure the successful execution of the port for the interest of all.

According to Abdullahi, the project should be of great interest to the nation considering the tremendous economic and social benefit that would be derived from it when it is successfully completed.

He said this while speaking at a meeting with officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the progress so far made on the project in his office in Lagos.

While assuring that the NPA would collaborate with the NNPC for the successful execution of the project, Abdullahi implored all those involved with the project to fast-track the process so that appreciable progress could be made before the end of April.