By Olubunmi ISOKPEHI, Lagos
The Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents,ANLCA, KLT, Chapter, Comrade Goddy Soleji, has said, ” Terminal Operators and Shipping Companies account for 70% of problems at the Ports.”
He disclosed this information in an exclusive chat with GLOBAL RAYS Media.
His words: ” Truely there is deadlock in our ports but the deadlock is not totally responsible for the issue of demurrage, but our major challenge are the Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators.”
Adding, ” The Terminal Operators don’t have good working equipments , some of it work for hours and breakdown the whole day, yet these operators will not stop counting demurrage, up to 70 per cent is man made problem and they are enjoying it, collecting money not due for them from importers and agents.”
Comrade Goddy Soleji asserted, ” This money being collected is not just affecting the importers alone, it affects Nigerians, as these bills will be included, along side cost of freight, clearing and trucking to the destinations, all will be included before you sell, that’s why things are getting expensive and it’s affecting everybody.”
Adding, ” The trucking we used to do for #80,0000 to #120,000 now cost between #600,000 to #1.1million, these are problems uncalled for, ordinarily we ought not to go through that.”
Reacting on access roads to the Ports, Goddy Soleji, posited, ” Government has it’s own major role to play, in terms of access roads, clearing and maintaining the roads, there are export containers loaded in various warehouses at different locations that do not have access to the ports and we need to encourage more of exports.”
Adding, ” Government should call on the minister of Works to do the needful so that Nigerian Ports will be user friendly and cost less in order to attract more investors to come here for both imports and exports. Although, they are working hard on that, they have mobilized contractors, work is ongoing now, until they complete those roads we now know what to do.”
He urged Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators to do the needful by obeying government orders and directives; do their job diligently and stop extorting money from citizens unduly, because the money they are collecting is uncalled for.
He appealed, ” Members of the profession should also do their bid by making fair declarations, so everybody will be on the same page and system will move smoothly without issues and as well as maintain law and order.”
