Sir Patrick Osita Chukwu (Coordinator SNFFIEC)
Sir Patrick Osita Chukwu (Coordinator SNFFIEC)
I my own opinion, it is fund disbursement that is the major problem behind the delay and why the ICDs have not started operations. For such project to kick off fully, there is need for government to disburse the necessary fund for their execution, but when there is no fund, you don't have to blame anybody. Therefore we just have to blame the federal government for why the ICDs have not commenced operations. The government is aware of the fact that such projects are on ground yet it fail to disburse the required funds, thus if the government says they have allocated the necessary funds for the ICDs to kick start, how come they failed to go after those contractors or officials who have failed to do the needful.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (Deputy President, NAGAFF)
Locating ICD is one thing, and making it operational is another thing, there are things needed to make the place operate, you need machinery and staff, offices and facilities, it has to be attached to an organization that will feed the ICD for import or export. So gazetting it is just a step, the next thing now is to concession the place and attach it to an existing terminal operator. What has caused the delay is the Nigerian factor; certain things are always taken into consideration, like who is in charge? Who will benefit? We are always afraid of the unknown instead of taking necessary steps. Now that the Kaduna ICD has been gazetted, don't be surprised that some people will now suddenly become interested and want to invest there; the place might even become an export processing zone. Government is an organization, what effort has the government agency in charge of the ICD made for the ICDs to be gazetted? But now that it is done, let us now look back; the next step is for business to start thriving there.
Pius David (Stakeholder)
In my own view, the government should be held responsible; they are to govern the affairs of Nigerians and all other projects that exist in the country. One of the major responsibilities of the government is to create an enabling environment for business to thrive in the country and in such instance; the terminal operators don't have blame in the whole process. Supposing the government has put in place a conducive environment, investors will take advantage of it but in a situation whereby there is no encouragement by government becomes a problem to those who are willing to invest in such projects. There are designated areas for the location of the ICDs to take off, but as we speak some of these have no structure on ground. For instance, the one located at Isiala Ngwa because I am very sure of that one, nothing to show that the location is for such project. Since the government failed to put structures in place for the ICDs to kick start after so many years that concept has been defeated.
Ben Ndee (NCMDLCA)
It is all encompassing because who ever that owns an ICD should be happy that such an opportunity is at his doorstep because it’s big business. But sincerely speaking the ICDs are not hooked up with the rail system which I believe will hamper their smooth operations and it is one of the factors militating against them. However government creating ICDs and the off docks we have in the state are laying fallow, they are being starved of cargoes and until government realises that the bonded terminals are not living up to expectations, the ICDs will not work even when we have all the necessary facilities in place. The Nigerian Shippers Council has not been able to meet with the concessionaires on how best they can stem containers to bonded terminals since it was made the commercial regulator and I believe they should start from there before taking about ICDs. They should ensure that the terminal operators send containers to the off dock facilities , then study how well it has performed before planning with the government on how the ICDs can kick start.
Chris Ikemefuna (Clearing agent)
The terminal operators are the ones frustrating the effective take-off of the ICD because they would not want to transfer containers to those places; government also has a part to play in the blame game because they have refused to put up a legislation that will ensure that the ICD take off. We can see that the ICD projects are laudable, the advantage is enormous in the sense that, the idea of having it in those six states is that importers do not have to get to Lagos before picking their cargoes, but the complacency of government and the terminal operators is killing the project and not allowing it to take off.
Prince Offiong Emmanuel (Stakeholder)
The concessionaires don't have any hand in the delay of the ICDs take off, rather it is the government that approved the projects. Government needs to investigate reason behind the delay and also, the Nigerian Shippers Council needs to interface with the government so that the respective ICDs can function. Even, there is need for government to create more the ICDs in order to create job opportunities for people living in those areas. In the area of investment I will say government has not done enough and they are not really a good businessman.
Simeon Nwonu (National PRO, NAGAFF)
Government has a way it does its things, even though the Kaduna ICD has been gazetted, this does not mean the others will not be gazetted, maybe government is trying to take its time to study the remaining ICDs. It is a welcome development, but the problem we have in Nigeria is politics, we tend to politicize everything even to the detriment of the nation, some people are saying that it is because Buhari is a northerner and that is why the Kaduna ICD was hurriedly gazzeted. I don't believe in that, let us give them time, if at the end of the day we discover that only the ICD in Kaduna is the one gazetted or they did another one in the north again, then we will begin to cry for justice. First thing is to do the gazzetting, it is after this that government will now concession the ICD. Also, Buhari's administration needs to look into the modus operandi of the terminal operators and look at the way the facilities were concessioned to them, did they follow due process, what advantages do we have as a nation? We discovered that the profits that are being made, the white people are the ones making the profit and sending it back to their home state.
Sampson Chima (Registrar, NIS)
The project is being pioneered by the Federal Government and the ICDs are not functional up till now, I believe government is supposed to put all modalities in place even if it is going to be concessioned out, the only way the ICD can effectively take off is when it is connected to the rail lines, if the rail is not there, all cargoes will be transferred by road and you know that the road presently cannot guarantee the movement of cargoes, I will blame the government because they have not done the needful for the ICD to work, the mass movement of cargo can only be done through the rail, this is how it is done all over the world, we cannot hope on the road, I don't think we are moving anywhere.
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