Prince Jimoh Lawal is the Chairman of Ikorodu chapter of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA). In this interview with Shipping Position Daily correspondent Dapo Olawuni, he raised an alarm of attempt to kill the Ikorodu Terminal. According to him, Ikorodu terminal is dying because cargoes have not been transferred to the terminal by Customs and Nigerian Ports Authority since 2014.
What is the level of activities at Ikorodu terminal?
Ikorodu terminal was created mainly to receive overtime containers; any container that have stayed at the seaport terminals and bonded terminals for 29 days has become an overtime container and should be transferred to Ikorodu. By doing that, government is creating room for new cargoes and to avoid congestion, there is a gazette to this effect on such overtime containers, the terminal operators or shipping company has no right to demand for any demurrage on it again. But these terminals and shipping companies are not after the law, they do whatever they like; a container that has stayed in their terminal for two years, they still demand money on it, the least help they would provide you is to bring 20% of the duty, but let's assume that my container is worth N5million and the demurrage accumulated is N20million, who is losing? The charges they collect daily on the container are outrageous.
Whose duty is it to transfer containers to government warehouse at Ikorodu?
At the beginning, the federal government assigned money through the Nigerian ports Authority (NPA) to take care of the logistics and movement of the containers to Ikorodu; customs is to get the number of Unclaimed Cargo List (UCL); these are the containers that are overtime. After getting this list, customs transfers it to the Zonal Coordinator who is head of all area commands, after this, they forward the list to the NPA to take note, after taking note, they inform the Federal Operations Unit to escort the containers.
Before now the customs were doing that, but since new controllers have been deployed to the various commands, they have compromised with the terminal operators and this has slowed down the movement. For over two years now, containers have not been transferred from Apapa port, if you go to APM Terminals today, you would see a lot of containers that have been destroyed, they are no longer useful for anybody and yet the terminal operators refused to release them. There was a time we went there to release four containers belonging to the aviation sector, they gave us a debit note of N65million and they said we should pay 60% of it which is over N30million. We have appealed severally and even went to the Customs ACG Headquarters, he signed some containers for us and instructed that they transfer them to Ikorodu, but after a month that he made this effort, he relaxed again and he did not bother again. Meanwhile it is the duty of the ACG headquarters to mount pressure on the terminal operators so that they can transfer containers.
We have volunteered to transfer these containers by ourselves through Sapid, Sapid is the terminal operator in charge of Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, they agreed with us that once the customs generates the UCL (Unclaimed Cargo List) and approval is given, Sapid is ready to bring it here and we would pay them back. So, we are not even waiting for NPA or Customs or the terminal operators to transfer these containers, we are doing self-transfer.
Terminal operators and shipping companies have complained that they lose storage and demurrage charges whenever a container is taken away to Ikorodu, how would they now get their money?
On the shipping companies, importers have already paid for the movement of the containers to Nigeria, but the more your cargo is still in their container, they charge you demurrage. But on our own we have decided and assured terminal operators that instead of them to lose totally, we have reached an agreement that we are ready to pay N500, 000 on each container before they are transferred to Ikorodu, this is what we propose if the container is on self-transfer, but if it is on mass transfer, nobody would give them money because they have already recouped their money. The foreign-owned terminals are the ones that have made it hard for us to transfer containers. Ports and Cargo which is an indigenous operator usually release overtime containers immediately the customs give them instructions.
Some of the terminal operators have also said that importers deliberately abandon their containers at the port.
Let's assume that I am an importer, there is no way you would be successful without going through the banks, after bringing in the goods, can you leave them inside the ports for one year? It is never done. When you check the interests that have accrued, you will realise that it is not a wise move in business.
The NPA also promised to make this place come to life. Also, the last time the CG came here, he promised to make this terminal more viable, but up till now, nothing has been done. We have written so many letters and reminders, but nothing has been done.
Terminal operators need to understand the need for them to get cargoes transferred to Ikorodu, many importers have gone bankrupt, some have died.The information we gathered recently is that, from the Tin Can Command, the Area Controller has collected bribe from the terminal operators. Some container documents are lying on his table, but he refused to transfer them because money have exchanged hands, he should remember that he is a public servant and not a servant to terminal operator, he should follow what the law and the constitution says. When the former CAC of Tin Can, Zakari Jibrin was still in office, we enjoyed his experience. The current CAC categorically told us that he has signed forty containers to be transferred, but he told us to go and negotiate with the terminal operators and seek demurrage waiver. In Apapa, containers have not been transferred in the past two years. We are calling on the CG of Customs, Hameed Ali to investigate these Controllers and ask them questions on why container transfer is delaying. We are also calling on the Senate committee on customs for them to look into this matter.
What is the capacity of Ikorodu terminal?
As far as this terminal is concerned, it could contain more than 5000 containers, it has been partitioned according to all the terminals we have, each port have their stacking area, so if well arranged, the terminal could even take up to 7,000 containers. Most of the containers here presently are empty, we want the shipping companies to come and evacuate the empty containers here.
What is your take on the online auctioning of containers by the Customs?
My advice to government is that they should revert to the former system, if not, a lot of the payment for online auction would be falling into the hands of internet fraudsters and Yahoo boys, the government would lose woefully. The decision to auction online is totally wrong; there is no way the payment would not be intercepted online. My advice is for Customs to go back to the former CGC Dikko's ideas, allocation papers should be given to beneficiaries to go to wherever their auction is located and pick it up. It could still be monitored if we do it the old way. Any container on which duty has been paid would not be safe online, but the one that has SGD is safe from auction online, it would put a stop to double allocation. Any container that duty has been paid should not be allocated for auction online
There are allegations of container vandalism at Ikorodu, what is the rate of stealing currently?
Back then, before we assumed office, I cannot say to what level the practice was going on, but since we came on board, there has never been any such report. Our Area Controller is a security conscious person and he is monitoring everything, right now he has instructed Sapid to use containers to create a blockade around the terminal. Some people were coming in through the waterways into the terminal to steal before now, back then there was no much security and control, but since the former CAC was here, every avenue for the bad boys have been blocked.
Since you were elected as ANLCA Chairman last year 2016? How have you been implementing your promises to members?
We have not been finding it easy, importation into the country has reduced drastically, a lot of items have been banned, not much importation is coming into the country.
What is your relationship with government agencies here?
We don't have problems with the security agencies, especially Customs, if the customs is fine, we also would be fine.
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