The President of Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON); Mr Frank Ogunojemite, has lambasted Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, (NAHCO) Plc and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) for demanding storage charges during the Federal Government-ordered lockdown period.
The development led to business activities at the cargo section of the Lagos airport being grounded on Wednesday, as freight agents protested over the storage charges demanded by the ground handling companies for the period.
After observing the one-month lockdown to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, freight forwarders resumed at the airports on Monday May 4, only to find out that NAHCO and SAHCO had slammed demurrage charges on goods that were un-cleared as well as consignments which arrived at the airport during the lockdown.
While the ground handling companies reduced the cost to 50 percent of their previous storage charges for the lockdown period, the protesting freight agents demanded 100 percent waivers for the period, as was obtained at the seaports.
Some freight forwarders had raised concerns that despite the Federal Government’s directive that airport operations be shut down completely to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, normal operations at the cargo section of Lagos airport continued, indicating that colossal sums would be demanded as demurrage after the lockdown.
But, addressing journalists on this issue, the APFFLON leader; Frank Ogunojemite said the importers and freight agents have to obey the President’s directive to stay at home, therefore ground handling companies should waive storage charges for the period.
He argued that, “is it the fault of importers and freight agents that there was a lockdown? How can these companies charge us for the lockdown period? We expect 100 percent storage-free period and nothing less. As a result of this crisis no business activity has taken place at SAHCO or NAHCO.
“I see this as an act of irresponsibility and wickedness on the part of ground handling companies, because they could work out a rebate with Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria”, he stressed.
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