Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited (P&CHS), the operator of Tin-can Island Port Complex (TCIPC) Terminal ‘C ’, penultimate Monday, played host to a combined team of the Policy and Monitoring Committee (PMC) of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led by Mohammed Shuaibu.
The team came to assess the performance of privatised enterprises.
The Managing Director of P&CHS, Mr. John Jenkins, who led other senior management staff of the company to receive the delegation, explained that the organisation has transformed the port through huge investments in both equipment and human capital, with its attendant’s positive impact on the Nigerian economy of Nigeria.
These efforts, according to Jenkins, have equally assuaged the problems of unemployment in the country.
The P&CHS boss revealed that the company is ready to expand the scope of its operations in the maritime Industry, so as to generate employment for more Nigerians and continue to impact positively on the economy at large.
However, Jenkins listed a number of challenges facing the company’s operations at the terminal, including gridlock on both the port access road and entrance to the terminal, which was blamed on alleged dumping of seized items by the Ports Authority Police Command (PAPC), Tin-Can Island Port Division.
Noting that the company was also contending with lack of public power supply, he appealed to the Federal Government and other relevant government agencies like the NPA to help ensure constant electricity supply to the port.
The P&CHS boss also appealed to the Federal Government other relevant government agencies, such as the NPA and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to assist the company by making the access road free and motorable.
Jenkins equally said that refurbishment of quay aprons and clearing of seized items, including containers and trucks, are necessary to ensure easy vehicular movement in and out of the terminal.
Responding, the Port Manager, the TCIPC, Mr. E.B Longe, assured that all the challenges raised by the P&CHS Managing Director will be effectively tackled as soon as possible for the common benefit of all stakeholders as they are already embarking on some palliative measures for now.
Both management of the NPA and the P&CHS agreed to meet in the next two weeks to assess the level of positive changes expected, concerning the challenges raised by the P&CHS Managing Director.
Members of the team lauded the efforts of the P&CHS based on what they saw physically, promising to recommend to the appropriate authority policies and regulations that will enhance better performance of the terminal and other terminals, in order to ensure absolute success of the Federal Government’s privatisation policy.
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