Caption: A typical bonded terminal in Lagos
Investigations by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that, contrary to claims that the ports in Lagos that, notwithstanding the outbreak of COVID-19, the ports are full of activities, most of the berths are empty.
The state of the terminals in terms of berth occupancy has heightened anxiety among dock workers and terminal operators over possible job loss amidst dwindling revenue.
Our findings revealed that, many of the berths in Lagos ports are empty, a development that has led to palpable anxiety among workers at the terminals, many of whom are now faced with the reality of either getting sacked or receiving salary cut.
Specifically, the Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL) which has five berths had two of its berths empty between Monday June15 and Friday July 3, 2020.
Recall that ABTL recently opted for payment by tonnage for dockworkers who were on permanent employment status, fueling tension of impending job loss in the industry.
Payment by tonnage is a system of payment where the tonnage of goods dock workers offload from a vessel determines their pay instead of receiving fixed and regular salary.
Also APM Terminal (APMT) one of the largest receivers of containerised cargoes in the country recorded about 75 per cent berth vacancy between Monday 15th June and Friday July 3rd 2020. Out of the its six berths, between four to five were empty throughout the period.
Meanwhile, all the three berths operated by Eko Support Services at Apapa port were empty between Monday15th and Friday 19th of June 2020. But, between Monday 29th and July Friday 3rd 2020, only one berth was vacant.
Further findings revealed that, ENL Terminal which has about 10 berths within the same period had an average of three to four berths empty, within the same period.
The terminal also had similar berth occupancy ratio as some of the vessels waiting at its berths were yet to leave.
For instance, the Africa Glory which arrived at the ENL terminal on the June 11, was still at the terminal as at Friday July 3.
Also, at the Ijora oil jetty, a ship called MT ADEBOMI that arrived on the June 22, 2020 was still at the terminal as at Friday July 3, 2020 although the ship is expected to leave on June 26,2020 while as at Friday 3rd July, the berth was empty.
You will recall also that Shipping Position Daily reported that Merchant Seafarers Association of Nigeria (MSAN) threatened to sue Stallionaire Oil and Gas Limited; owners of MT ADEBOMI over unpaid salaries of seafarers onboard the Nigerian ship.
Even as the threat of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic threatens further reduction in the number of vessels calling at the nation's terminal, Shipping Position Daily analysis reveals that year 2020 may end, with terminal operators running at a loss by as much as about 60 percent of previous year’s revenue.
Apart from the looming threat to job loss, there are indications that the empty berths at the various terminals may also hinder the revenue accruable to the NPA.
The President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju had threatened to resist any move by terminal operators to slash salaries or sack workers due to the effect of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Efforts to get the reaction of President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA); Mr Tony Iju Nwabunike yielded little result, he promised to get back to our correspondent for "concrete details on why the berths are empty", but he never did.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Stanley Ezenga informed that the cold war between the terminal operators and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) is the reason the berths are empty.
He informed that, a vessel that is expected to berth at Lagos port on the 5th of June, is still on the high sea as at 30th of June 2020, stating that the cost implications of the vacant berths is enormous for importers, he said importers are already incurring demurrages as a result of the cold war.
According to him, "the cost implication is enormous, because even for me, I have a consignment that is supposed to have called since 5th of June and as at 30th of June, the vessel is yet to berth and most of the quays are empty, and I wonder the kind of relationship between NPA and terminal operators.
"Because during the time of the total lock down, we assumed that most of the vessels coming from high risk countries will be at the berth and quarantine for about two weeks before discharging, but now, one begins to wonder why is it that the vessels are still on the high sea, so it means that demurrage is already pilling up, even as they are yet to berth, we only begin to pay the rent when the consignment enters the terminal, but the demurrage from the part of shipping company is already pilling”.
"I wrote letter to the shipping company but they said no, that until I take delivery of the consignment, that is when I can now ask for waiver, and why is it so, it is because the people at the helm of affairs do not care, and some of the policies they shun out it's not people friendly”.
“I believe the reason the berths are empty is because there are issues between the terminal operators and NPA", he alleged.
However, efforts to get the reaction of the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of NPA proved abortive as calls and text message sent to him as at the time of filling this report were not responded to.
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