Aggrieved Clearing Agents Protest At TICT

Aggrieved freight forwarders operating at Tin Can Island port yesterday staged a protest at Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) over alleged arbitrary charges, incompetence, and moves by the concessionaire into enter a new deal with a certain shipping company called Arab Shipping Line.

Some of the placards that were carried by the agents and which were sighted by Shipping Position Daily read: "TICT enough is a enough" ,"we need to stop all the arbitrary charges by the terminal operators ,TICT is a 419 ",Fake auctions to fresh containers" Arab Shipping please avoid TICT, they are incompetent".

The protest which started at the head office of TICT at Point Road in Apapa at about 9.am, was later taken to the terminal at the port at about 11 am.
In a chat with our correspondent in Lagos at the gate, Secretary of ANLCA, Tin Can Island Chapter,Mr. Chuks Kanikwu David said that management of the terminal is the cause of the problems, because they charge for services not rendered.

Kanikwu said the concessionaire lacks space management technique making it difficult to position containers for examination to take place yet they are on the verge to sign a contract with a new shipping firm which inturn will add addition burden to the terminal which is already congested.
Explaining the rationale behind the freight forwarders’ action, the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Tin Can Island Chapter; Prince Kayode Oyinlola told Shipping Position Daily exclusively that TICT allegedly collected monies from freight agents during the Sallah holidays and it has refused to make a refund.
Oyinlola noted that alleged further that TICT is the only terminal that promised to work during Sallah holidays, but did not turn up.

"What we did today is not really a stampede, rather we just want the general public to know that the new shipping line that is coming to TICT is coming to add more to the problems we are facing at the terminal", he told our correspondent.

"Because from information we gathered today, a new shipping line is making effort to do business with the terminal and with what they have now, they cannot cope, so why must they take on new agency to their terminal", he challenged.

"We also know that they will be deceiving this people that are coming that they are competent whereas, they are not and that is why we did it, but we are not here to fight, but to let those that are coming to know that TICT will only spoil their name, so it will better for them not to go into partnership with them" ,Oyinlola stated.

Butressing the ANLCA chairman’s position, Secretary of the Tin Can Island Chapter of the association; Mr. Chuks Kanikwu David said that management of the terminal is the cause of the problems, because they charge for services not rendered.

Kanikwu alleged that the concessionaire lacks space management technique making it difficult to position containers for examination, yet they are on the verge of signing another contract with a shipping firm.
Speaking further he said, “this company keep on sourcing for boxes all over the globe which they cannot be able to handle, they lack space management techniques ,they cannot position containers for examination as at when requested ,they keep charging for services not rendered and of recent they went to sign a contract with another shipper which will add additional burden to the already congested terminal they have because of their analogue system of handling cargo operations in the port".

"Today they were able to position containers on time because the people are coming to inspect their terminal in order to give them additional ships from United Arab Emirate shipping company and we cannot open our eyes to allow this people to add extra burden to us, no! We don't want it because our people have suffered enough that is why we are here".

He also said that the arbitrary charges by the terminal has led to high cost of goods in the Nigerian market, adding that the location of TICT corporate office to the terminal at Tin Can port is another problem.

The scribe of the Tin Can Island port chapter of ANLCA added that, "before you go from their Polysonic Mall office to the port ,with your billing to carry out the process, the whole day is gone "

"We are clamouring of a refund of monies collected from our members for services not rendered. This is the only terminal that charge us during public holidays, this is the only company that finds excuses on how to reap where they have not sown and we want to put a stop to it", he lamented.

Kanikwu explained that there are a lot of hidden charges by TICT on importers and if drastic action is not taken, it would lead to economic breakdown.

He added that the protest was a joint action of all freight forwarding associations operating at the seaport, pointing out that TICT is a foreign owned company with bad Nigerian managers.

"It is our brothers in their employment that are showing them ways to fix us and sap our economy", he alleged.

He also called on the government to review the concession agreement with the terminal operators, because, according to him, Nigerian ports are no longer user-friendly. “We will shutdown the port and damn the consequences", he threatened.

Also reacting on the protest, a member of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Tin Can Island port; Mr. Stanley Ejiogu told our correspondent that based on the information gathered by agents, that an Arab shipping line, with the motive of entering into an agreement with TICT led to the stampede.

He said that TICT at this point in time is not supposed to do business with another shipping line because of the challenges that surrounds it.

And reacting to the protest, the terminal manager of TICT; Mr Richard Akinbosotu denied knowledge of the protest and the grievances of the agents.