Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), Apapa, Lagos has not recorded any theft in its terminal, the Managing Director, TICT, Mr. Yehuda Kotik, has said.
Kotik’s disclosure is coming on the heels of the outright theft of cargo and pilfering that characterised the operations of the nation’s seaports in the pre-concession era.
Pilfering popularly called ‘wharf rats’ and outright stealing of goods, including containers were the order of the day in the nation’s seaports before they were concessioned in 2006 during the economic reform that was carried out by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
The exercise which was midwife by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) divested the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) from the day-to-day running of the nation’s seaports.
Since then concessionaires are now in charge of the running of the nation’s seaports situated in Warri, Lagos, Calabar, Sapele, Port Harcourt, and Onne.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the just concluded 12th Intermodal Africa 2014 exhibition and conference held in Lagos, Kotik said TICT is fully compliant with the provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
He said the terminal is highly secured such that there had not been any recorded case of theft at the terminal since 2006. He said TICT adopted ISPS to ensure that there were no losses as a result of pilfering within its operational base inside the port.
His words: “Since the take-off of operation at the port, we have not recorded any theft. Not even a pen has been declared stolen. Being ISPS Code compliant, we have intelligence monitoring technology systems to ensure that cargoes are secured.”