The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has ordered freight forwarders operating at the nation’s seaports to ignore any policeman involved in illegal interception of cargoes already cleared out of the ports.
The Executive Secretary of the Council; Mr. Hassan Bello gave the order on Tuesday when the Assistant Inspector General (AIG)of Police, Maritime Command; Abdul Danwawu paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Lagos.
Bello also said that illicit activities of the Police at the nation’s seaports were impeding clearing and cargo delivery process.
Explaining further, Bello also reminded the stakeholders of the recent directiveof the acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu which reinforces the mandate of the AIG (Maritime) and the Commissioners of Police in charge of Western and Eastern ports as being the police formations with primary responsibility for police operations at all ports.
“Other men and officers of the police have no business in the interception of cargoes at the ports,’’ he said.
He expressed the Council’s readiness to embrace the order by the IG to address the unwholesome practices by police.
The Shippers Council boss maintained that its mandate as port economic regulator is to sanitize the ports, ensure that costs remain reasonable and Nigeria competes with other countries in terms of best practices.
In his address, AIG Abdul Danwawu assured stakeholders that the Maritime Police Command would always seek directives from the Shippers’ Council when it concerns stoppage of containers.
‘‘The Marine Police Command will cooperate with NSC to make the ports meet its aspirations’’, he assured.
Discussion about this post