SHAME: Hoodlums Erect 3-Bedroom Flats with Wives, Children On Tin Can Port Roads

By DAPO OLAWUNI

There are indications that the Tin Can Island Port of Lagos under the control of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is actually living up to its reputation of being the most notorious and dirtiest port in West Africa, even as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has raised a fresh alarm of hoodlums have taking over the port access roads.

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju in a chat with journalists in his office at the weekend, noted that the hoodlums have now erected three bedroom shanties, with four wives and children, all living on the port access roads.

Comrade Adeyanju faulted the NPA for carrying out fencing of the port, and abandoning the access road into the hands of hoodlums, food vendors and others.

“Hoodlums have taken over the roads to the port and even erected two bedroom flats, with children and their wives on the road to the port and even in front of the Tin Can Island Port, it is an eyes saw.

“This is what we have been telling the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for them to wake up and carryout total cleansing and removal of shanties and people who have nothing to do at the port.

“When you visit other neighboring ports like Cotonou, you will see how beautiful their port is, you cannot see people selling alcohol and all that, at our own port, some of the hoodlums are even collecting rentage on behalf of the NPA.

“The road belongs to the federal government, and it is being managed by NPA, most of the activities there belonged to the NPA, so they should work hand in hand with the Lagos State Government to make sure that the environment within the port is clean.

“If the miscreants are evacuated from the roads, there is going to be free flow of traffic, the miscreants are constituting nuisance on the road by blocking the entrance of the port, it is affecting the stakeholders, the truck owners and drivers.
You see lotto shops, people with typewriter and so on

“The mistake NPA is making is that they have fenced the port and forget about the access roads leading to the port.

“A task force was set up recently and they discovered Ammunition in front of the port, it is more dangerous more than it is now.
The NPA fenced the ports, but the hoodlums have taken over the roads leading to the port” he stated