Funso Olojo 
Despite no restriction of movement and relatively peaceful ongoing hunger protest, especially in  Lagos, port operations at the Lagos Ports of Apapa and Tin Can , plummeted to a sluggish mode as the majority of port users and government agencies stayed away from work.
The hunger protest, which started on August 1st nationwide, has so far made the otherwise boisterous Lagos ports operating below capacity as activities were not on full throttle.
The Customs commands of Apapa Port, Tin Can Island Port, and PTML Kirikiti Lighter Terminal, which remained open during the ongoing protests, were largely idle as officers were waiting for clearing agents who refused to come.
The Apapa command of the customs, which had before the commencement of the strike action, said its officers would be on ground to attend to port users, has so far been operating below its capacity as few clearing agents were seen transacting business at the otherwise busiest command.
More instructive was the Nigerian Shippers’Council which reportedly asked its staff to stay away from the office since the beginning of the citizens’ rage against bad governance.
At the Apapa headquarters of the Shippers’Council, our reporter saw a few people outside the gate speaking in a hushed tone.
On inquiry, our reporter was told by the security men at the gate that the Council had not opened for business since August 1st, 2024.
A member of staff of the agency later told this reporter that the management asked all the staff to stay away from work for fear of attack from the protesters but said the office would resume operations on Monday, August 5th, 2024.
” We shall resume office on Monday,” a staff of the council said.
There were skeletal services at the  Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as their staff merely made brief appearances at the respective agencies since the beginning of the protest action due to the uncertainty of what could happen to them.
However, it was gathered that there would be full operations at the ports and the agencies from Monday, August 5th, 2024 when port users are expected to resume fully at their duty posts.