By Foster Obi
A laden container truck is posing heavy danger at the moment at the Liverpool Bridge, Apapa and may take lives if nothing is done immediately by the authorities. The truck has also blocked the bridge, creating serious traffic gridlock, harrowing experience for port users, and obstructing activities at the Port.
Most port users are alarmed that the authorities may be waiting for lives to be sacrificed first before something is done.
Investigation by showed that the Tin-can Island Container Terminal Limited (TICT) that loaded the truck may be playing the ostrich by refusing to take action to get the truck out of the bridge.
Eonomywatchng.com discovered that the importer and the agent may have run into trouble after loading the container and requested the help of TICT management.
A letter by the importer, Couvani Nigeria Ltd, signed by the manager Chinyere Nwankwo and sighted by Economywatchng.com , titled “Request for plant assistance on our poorly latched container nos APZU3599334 and APZU3710448 with bill of lading nos CWDL192341A/B,’ written to the operations manager TICT, dated Sept28, 2020 was an SOS which the Terminal has allegedly refused to honour.
The letter had alerted the Terminal that, “two out of the nine containers , we had amid vessel RHL CONSCIENTIA with voyage OWW6XWMA was poorly latched at the point of loading in the Terminal,” adding, “the middle hook of the container was not secured and therefore it is dangerous to move out of the port premises.”
“We parked off the road within 300 meters from the port gate and will need your forklift to enable us hook the containers properly,” the importer had requested.”
As a the time of writing, the Terminal had not acted on the letter fuelling fears that a major catastrophe may happen at the bridge any moment from now if the container falls off and claim lives of passersby, motorists or fish and condiment marketers on the downside of the bridge.
A stakeholder, Chief Osita Chukwu, Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition who was at the scene and very livid told Economywatchng.com, that the refusal of TICT management to do something about the container is baffling to the sensibilities.
“Right now the container has missed its hook and will fall anytime from now. I have called the Emergency Management Agency and they said they are on their way to the bridge. I have also called Nigeria Shipper’s Council but nothing positive have been seen done to avoid the menace not to happen.”
Efforts to get response from the TICT Terminal proved abortive at the time of report.
Pix: The container truck posing danger
