Even as the Nigeria Customs Service have been accused of setting up multiple checkpoints on Lagos expressway, freight forwarders have also alleged that both the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Association for Food and Drug Law Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have also joined the bandwagon by setting up enforcement teams with its officers stationed permanently on the roads to intercept containers.
Shipping Position Daily observed that the SON team is always stationed at the Mile 2 and the Funso Williams approaches into Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port, respectively.
Speaking with our correspondent, a licensed customs broker, Mr Jonathan Owoh alleged that after finishing with all necessary clearing procedures at the port, SON and NAFDAC officials would carry out another round of examination on the containers.
He said that sometimes, the activities of the agencies constitute accident, especially along the Mile 2 corridor.
According to him, while all the checks are going on, the agent is made to pay demurrage for the number of days wasted on the road.
Speaking further, Mr. Owoh said: "If you go to Mile 2, you would see them lined up, SON and NAFDAC have equally joined them, you would see their trucks lying up there and stopping containers, meanwhile their officials are already inside the port"
"The government is seeing them, but there is nothing they can do, obviously, these people did not send themselves to the road".
Also speaking on the new checkpoints by SON and NAFDAC, Mr. Femi Ilori, Director of FTI Shipping alleged that the agencies divert containers to unknown located and start conducting a fresh cargo examination.
According to him, "because they (SON, NAFDAC) saw that government have deployed customs FOU on the road waiting to scrutinize what has been done at the port, they also initiated their own enforcement officers, they have started intercepting containers on the road and taking them to unapproved sites to conduct another examination, with this, we cannot achieve the 48hours clearing in the port"
"We want the government to look into this as soon as possible because we are going to act, and we have started acting".
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