Mr. Fadipe Moses is the Head of the Complaint Unit of the Nigerian Shippers Council, a department responsible for settling disputes between providers and users of port services. In this interview with Shipping Position Daily correspondent Dapo Olawuni, Fadipe talked about the? Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) that was launched on June 21st 2016 by the Vice President; Prof Yemi Oshinbajo in Abuja and introduced to stakeholders in Apapa port recently. ?He also spoke on the regulatory powers of the Council and plans to come up with new regulations.
"We do have letters of appreciation from users and providers thanking the Council for a job well done?"
Why have you embarked on courtesy visit to shipping companies?
Nigerian Shippers’ Council is the port economic regulator and it has a lot of activities? which are not limited to conduct of investigation and handling of stakeholders complaints, in furtherance to this objective, the complaint unit has identified key stakeholders that we can relate with for us to have a seamless service delivery in the port, in making sure we realise these objectives, we decided to pay advocacy visits to the service providers and correct the erroneous impression that the Council is only for the users of shipping services, the fact is that providers of shipping services are equally being protected by Nigerian Shippers council, they are free to lay complaints against any institution, fellow service provider and even the port users, because we have several instances where their containers would be taken away and it would not be returned, we have handled such cases with a lot of results. We have visited Grimaldi, CMA CGM; we have visited PIL, Bollore Group which includes Cross Marine, Alraine Shipping Company and Transcap.
Can you tell us a little about the SOP and PSSP platforms introduced recently at the port?
There is a new innovation in the port industry in Nigeria to make our port attractive to the West Africa sub region, the Federal Government has launched a platform called; St?andard Operating Procedures (SOP) and the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) it is a platform where all issues of service infractions would be addressed, complaints could be launched either by the user or the provider. The PSSP also have various platforms which includes an SMS Portal, Event Portal, E-mail platform and Webmail platform. It equally takes care of walk-in customers and live complaints. This platform allows for real-time complaints handling system, this means that as a complainant is submitting a complaint against any agency and it is acknowledged to have been received, the concerned agency will equally receive it in real time. By the time the agency is responding to the complaints, everybody will see it in real time. The PSSP is an audit platform whereby the speed with which any organisation is responding is recorded on the platform, and at the end of the day, everybody will know how effective the complaint handling system in their organisation is.
How simplified is the PSSP platform?
It is very easy to key into that platform; first of all you have to register as a provider of services or a port services user?, as an individual or as a company you could register on the platform, so long you are a complainant, you have the right to register under any platform. When you type www.pssp.org, you will see the page and it will direct you on the various steps to take in registration, you could also upload documents on the platform or pictures. We however advice that the PSSP performs better on chrome or Firefox.
Are the shipping companies aware of this twin platform?
All the stakeholders in the maritime sector are accessory to the setting up? of this SOP, there are 28 of them, even the shipping companies’ representatives were there, it was a project that started in 2013 and launched on June 21st 2016 by the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbanjo. A lot of efforts have been put in that project and all the operators are aware of it. The first launch took place at the Apapa Port and the Managing Director of NPA represented the Minister of Transportation, the government attach so much importance to this project, and I believe all stakeholders would be sensitized gradually on the need to key into the platform. Bollore Group is so lucky that the day of the launch coincides with our visit to them, so we had to keep them informed and let them know what is obtainable in the industry. What I want you to know is that the era of Government agency sitting in the comfort of their office for complaints has gone we are now going to their doorstep to ask them what their complaints and challenges are and this is the proactiveness we are talking about on the part of Government agencies.
How ready is your department for the task of overseeing the PSSP platform?
The PSSP is warehoused by the Nigerian Shippers Council? and all equipment and tools for the success of this project is already in place and it has started running, it is real time. I can show you how the messages have started pouring in; immediately they come in we distribute them to departments that would handle them. So we are fully prepared for it. It is a project that we want to see succeed, all hands are on deck and the Complaint Unit is the one administrating the PSSP project. So there are two things there; the Shippers Council is warehousing the SOP and PSSP while the complaint unit is in charge of the administration of the PSSP.
What is your relationship with the clearing agents, terminal operators and other stakeholders?
I can tell you that the relationship is cordial, I say so because we are talking about issues, and when we are talking about issues, we address it strictly. Even in the house, husband and wife do quarrel, ?but when it comes to the time of who provides money for children school fees you forget your differences because the school fees must be provided. So, the port is about seamless service, and when it comes to this, we are all together. So, in the complaint department, we have relationship with the operators, and whereby there is impunity, we rise up to the occasion and put our feet down to make sure the right thing is done and they have been complying, so there is no issue.
How fast do you respond and resolve complaints?
In the complaints unit, we have timelines for resolving issues, the type and nature of your complaint determines the time it would take to resolve the issue, but normally it starts from 24 hours to 21 days. There are issues that an ordinary phone call or SMS or even an ordinary explanation could resolve, we resolve issues in maximum of seven days, if it is not resolved, it then means that it is an issue that we have to bring a lot of parties together to get to the root of the matter. But, there is no case that would go beyond 21 days, anything beyond 21 days means that the matter is going for litigation, this is when talk of infraction or impunity on the part of an advantaged operator, oppressing another weaker party, but ordinarily, issues could not be more than 21 days to handle.
We are told that Shippers Council is coming up with a new regulation, how true is this?
Regulation is just an Act of Parliament trying to bring about order into a system, there are several situations whereby you are trying to resolve complaints? and the other party apologises that they are sorry, it is a tripartite issue that involves the complainant, the government agency, terminal operator and the shipping company. For instance, my container is at the port and a security agency says they suspect the container and they need to investigate it, in this case, the terminal or shipping company cannot release, but after concluding the investigation, they discovered that nothing incriminating was found in the container and it is good to go, for that period of time that it was delayed, there is storage charges and demurrages, so who bears it? This is why we are saying that as a regulator, we are coming up with regulations whereby anyone that infringes on any cargo without due diligence and at the end of the day, says I am sorry, such a person or agency would bear the cost of all the delays. This is why I said the regulation would soon be out, everyone would see it and agree to it.
During the crisis at APMT last year over service failures, would you say the Council played its part well?
There was a resolution for them to bring up their claims against APMT so that they could be paid, but up till now they did not come back to us, so it is assumed that they have been paid. For them not coming back to us shows that they have been paid, so it is wrong for them to now go behind us and say that the council is not doing anything about their plight, after all it was the same council from the beginning that called all parties together during the crisis to say the issues should be resolved and it was resolved. We don't want faceless people making allegations against Shippers Council; anyone with genuine complaints should come to the council with their claims. As for the complaint unit, we have not received any complaints from agents after the APMT issue was resolved last year, but if there are still any complaints, the door is open for them to come back and resolve the issue. We do have letters of appreciation from users and providers thanking the Council for a job well done? I can make bold to say that shippers council as an agency is worthy of emulation. We even attend to people on Saturdays; there is a hotline we give out, such that if issues are happening in the port and you call that number, somebody will be with you immediately to attend to you in the port.
What's your take on the call for coercive force for the council?
Regulation has so many phases, it depends on the one you determine to use?, this is why you see the Council doing a lot of sensitization and enlightenment for now, it is after this that we can begin to talk about sanctions, it is the people's psyche that you need to first of all work on, this is why we are doing all the advocacy, sensitization and so on. It is not that the Council is weak, we would not hesitate at the appropriate time to bring out the sledge hammer.
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