The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have sealed a joint working partnership to frontally address insecurity and traffic management challenges in and around Apapa which is housing the nation’s largest and busiest sea port.

Speaking while receiving LSSTF Executive Secretary, Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun and the management team of the Fund on a courtesy visit, NPA’s Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman said the collaboration of critical agencies such as the Security Trust Fund was important to improve the challenge of insecurity and traffic gridlock around Apapa Port, as doing so would be of immense economic benefit to the country.

“I must say that this visit is very necessary as it gives us a better understanding of LSSTF considering the fact that the support requested for is of value to the NPA. On our part, we will review what the NPA has done in the past and do it in a sustainable manner”, she said.

Usman assured the LSSTF team of NPA’s commitment to collaborate with the Fund in other areas where the support is necessary to improve the challenge of insecurity and traffic management around Apapa Port. Earlier, Dr. Balogun said the visit was to rekindle the previously existing partnership of the NPA with the Fund, saying that the LSSTF, more than ever before, needed support to help security agencies adequately combat crime in the State.

He said the LSSTF was created in 2007 by the Lagos State House of Assembly to source for resources in any form (cash, assets, technical etc.) in order to equip and support all security agencies in the State.

“Without the LSSTF, the peace and tranquility experienced in Lagos in the last ten years would not have been possible, but the Fund has been responding timeously to the needs of security agencies which makes them more productive in the discharge of their duties,” Balogun said.

While emphasizing the fact that the Fund does not receive any subvention from the State Government, Balogun said the LSSTF is solely funded by voluntary donations from corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals.

‘‘LSSTF has been effective because of its transparency and accountability showing donors that what they put their monies into is being expended judiciously in the procurement of vehicles, logistics, and other crime fighting tools to the security agencies in the State,” he asserted.

On his part, a member of LSSTF Board of Trustees, Mr. Yemi Idowu said that the Fund would be very grateful if NPA could encourage its stakeholders/operators in the Marine industry to make contributions to the Trust Fund towards the enhancement of security in Lagos State.

Itunuoluwa