AMAECHI STOPS BARGE OPERATIONS ALONG MARINA COASTLINE, AS NPA SET TO REVOKE APPROVALS

Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has issued an order stopping operations of Barges along the coastline of Marina in Lagos State.

Amaechi, in company of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu jointly gave the order on Tuesday, during an unscheduled inspection, saying that barge operations have desecrated the beauty and serenity of Marina coastline.

They went round the coastline, seeing the long row of trucks and containers that have constituted health and security hazards on the Marina.

Amaechi and Sanwo-Olu kept on shaking their heads on seeing the devastation of the coastline that used to be the pride of the state, attracting crowds of visitors and described the “unwholesome” activities on the coastline as “shocking” and “unacceptable”.

The Minister spoke of an urgent need to sanitise the entire Marina coastline and restore its tranquility and beauty.

He ordered that trucks must immediately stop coming to Marina to load.

The Transportation Minister revealed the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) did not grant anyone the permission to carry out barging operations there, insisting that all such activities must stop immediately.

“The Federal Ministry of Transport has agreed with Lagos State Government to ensure that whoever is making use of Marina coastline should stop. We have agreed with Commissioner of Police to stop those using the roads and we have agreed with NPA to cancel all barge permits, pending when each person will come back to NPA, NIWA and Lagos State Government to renew such approval”.

Braveviews gathered that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is in the meantime set to revoke barge approvals granted some companies operating in Lagos State.

Similarly, the Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu has directed the State Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute anyone who flouts the order to stop ”unauthorized activities” on the Marina.

He vowed that the State Government would do everything to bring sanity to the coastline.