By Kenneth Jukpor
Port concessionaires under the aegis of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) have collectively donated the sum of N700million to the Federal Government to support the country’s effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
STOAN Chairman, Princess Vicky Haastrup, disclosed this in Lagos earlier today, even as she stressed that no effort from the private or public sectors should be spared in efforts towards curtailing the pandemic.
According to her, the world is facing its worst public health crisis in more than 100 years. “This fight is not for the Federal or State Governments alone. The virus is an enemy that all of us must join hands together to fight. I wish to commend government and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for rising up to the challenges posed by the pandemic and I pray that very soon we will all sing songs of victory. Nigeria will triumph; humanity will triumph against this virus,” she said.
Giving a breakdown of the sum, Haastrup said APM Terminals Apapa Limited; ENL Consortium Limited and Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL), all operating at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, donated N150million; N70million and N10million respectively to the COVID-19 Relief Fund Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) and Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) both at the Tin Can Island Port Complex donated N100million each while Port & Cargo Handling Services; Five Star Logistics, and Josepdam Port Services, who are also operators at the Tin Can Island Port Complex, donated N75million; N75million and N60million respectively.
The STOAN Chairman also noted that West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Onne Port donated N50million, while ECM Terminal, Calabar Port donated N10million.
She said terminal operators also made donations of various personal protective items such as face masks, hand gloves, coveralls, hand sanitizers and infrared thermometers to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other government agencies at the various port locations across the country.
“I wish to thank my colleagues for their support and generosity. The times are hard; shipping and port operations are badly affected by the pandemic but we cannot close our eyes to the needs of the society, hence, we tasked ourselves and made this sacrifice.”
“I also thank the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman and other relevant stakeholders for sustaining port operations during this crisis. Operations at the port are crucial to ensuring uninterrupted supply of food, medicine and other essentials to Nigerians,” she said.
She reiterated the need for everyone to stay safe and take responsibility by following the guidelines and safety measures issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) such as maintaining social distancing, washing hands regularly or using alcohol-based sanitizers and avoiding large gatherings.
