Comrade Stephen Ibeh (NAGAFF)
Comrade Stephen Ibeh (NAGAFF)
We have been clamouring to have a commercial regulator to be in place so that charges can be regulated and the simple truth is that I have not seen the Nigerian Shippers Council protecting the shippers in any form. Though the law that will make them to checkmate the concessionaire is still pending before the National Assembly, but with the support of freight forwarders, importers and other stakeholders in the industry, I think there is a way to go around it in ensuring that NSC performs better than before. From my own point of view, the NSC has not done much as expected by the operators in the industry.
Deacon Olumide Fakanlu (Chairman ANLCA, Apapa)
In my own opinion, I will say the NSC has tried in its own capacity as an agency of government under the maritime industry, but the truth is that the government is yet to give them that legal backing that can make them perform better as expected. There is no way you can expect the council to give out what they don't have and that is why they are yet to bite. In the area of adviser and mediators to shippers and concessionaires they are doing quite well. Again, the council is in a better position to advise the government about what to do as an agency to sanitise port operations, but they are yet to do that, thus the ball is in their court.
Jones Idemili (Chairman, AREFFN Apapa)
The Nigerian Shippers' Council is working in the right direction, but if the pending bill can be passed into law, then we will expect more from them and as it is there is no law in place that gives them the tall order to regulate the concessionaires and that is why they remain where they are today. Before now the actions taken by the council was not in existence, but as at now you will find out that they been very aggressive. But, I still maintain that the law is the only factor that is holding the council down. Let the government pass the law then we can pass better judgment.
Philips Osisi Tico (NAGAFF)
The NSC to me has lost the focus of its establishment because the indigenous investors we have at the moment cannot be protected by the maritime agency called Nigerian Shippers Council talk less of addressing issues that bother on port operations. If the NSC cannot perform in the area of protecting the shippers, what gives us the impression that if they pass the Port and Harbour Bill into law, they will be able to checkmate the concessionaires in the area of arbitrary charges? There has been disparity in shipping charges for years and nobody is doing anything about. This agency is winking in the dark and the truth is that they have lost focus.
David Pius (Stakeholder)
Overtime, we have been talking about the laws that established the NSC to be amended for it to be empowered. But as it is, the power they command now is not what we expect from them. The concessionaires and shipping companies have no respect for NSC because of the weak legal backing it has at the moment. The NSC in my own opinion is not living up to our expectations; looking at its role in the maritime industry. If the National Assembly fails to pass the pending bill that can make the council operate as a commercial regulator, then there is nothing anybody can do to checkmate the concessionaires.
Kayode Farinto (ANLCA)
The mandate given to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council at the moment is verbal and there is nothing they can do to checkmate the shipping companies and terminal operators, since it has no legal backing. At least for them to perform optimally there should be some documents to back it up. Again, what I think the federal government needs to do is to look at NSC Act, amend it in order to make the council vibrant, because the duty of the council is to protect Nigerian importers and exporters, but as we speak, the law establishing the council is still very weak and until this law is amended there is nothing anyone can do to make the council perform better.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (Deputy President, NAGAFF)
They have been trying, and they have also been vocal, especially with regards to the anomalies being perpetrated by shipping companies and terminal operators, but the unfortunate thing is that they have not been given the power to control these people, if they are given the power to control these people, that is the only time they can be accused if they are not living up to expectation, but for now they are trying. I have had instances where people had issues, I referred them to the Shippers’ Council and the issues were resolved, we want government to make it open that the council is now the commercial regulator of the port, one thing is to be given the nod, another thing is the power to punish, let them be given the power to control and punish, just like the NCC that has the power to punish telecommunication operators.
Oladipo Bolade (Asst. Nat. Sec. ANLCA)
In my own opinion, I think they have woken up from their slumber, they are now forthcoming than before, in the past, when you go there with your complaints, there is a lukewarm attitude, but in the past two years, now I think they are doing averagely well by coming up to mediate when there is problem between the shipper and the shipping companies or even the representatives of the shipper who is the clearing agent. On three occasions, I have had an interface with them, and by virtue of my position as assistant national secretary, I have been able to interact with them on several occasions, especially the director of commercial shipping services, and other people in the council, the response to issues now is far better than before. We agitated for them to become commercial regulator because they have all it takes; they have shipping data by which they can make comparison with other countries of the world. But it is one thing to give you an obligation; it is another thing to equip you with the necessary machinery to perform your function. In the port, some people call them toothless bulldogs, government should give them the enforcement power to punish and arrest, if this is not there, they cannot achieve anything.
Anslem Njemanze (ANLCA Chairman, Lillypond)
Nigeria is a confused place where a body will be constituted and there will be no complementary powers to make sure they execute the mandate given to them. In as much as there is no commensurate power given to them, they may be lacking in certain areas, this is because some of the concessionaires have Nigerian big wigs solidly behind them and so the council may not be able to control them, they will be doing whatever they want, even when the council visits the terminal, they will be given doctored information, because they are not on ground.
Rev. Emmanuel Agubanze (NAGAFF, Lillypond Chairman)
The Shippers Council has not delivered on their mandate because they have seen themselves as a creation of the government, they are supposed to be constituted by shippers, but where you have civil servants and other people that have never imported or exported any goods constituting the council, how do they operate. They see themselves as civil servants and this is why they have not been able to regulate the system, the terminal operators, the shipping companies, until the council is constituted by Nigerian importers and shippers, the problem will still remain, the council is being funded by government which is not supposed to be, it should be a council manned by shippers who will protect their business, this is why the council only talk and cannot bite, in many other countries, government can have a representative in the council, but it will not constitute the whole council members.
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