Palpable tension has gripped the PTML Terminal as clearing agents have disagreed with operators of the terminal; Grimaldi Shipping Company over the newly-erected electronic gate system at the entrance to the terminal.
The Grimaldi Shipping had erected the gate last weekend as a crowd control measure, especially at the valuation department of the Nigeria Customs Service inside the terminal.
Heavily armed policemen were sighted at the terminal yesterday in case of any resistance from the stakeholders.
The agents in a chat with ShippingPosition Daily yesterday have however threatened to embark on a strike action any moment from now if the gate is not removed immediately. They also claimed that the access control gate is affecting their clearing operations, especially in interfacing seamlessly with the valuation department of customs.
Our correspondent learnt that the leadership of ANLCA and NAGAFF has already notified the Nigerian Police, the DSS and other law enforcement agencies about an impending strike action.
Speaking exclusively with ShippingPosition Daily, an agent, Mr. Gani Adeola said Grimaldi was taking the clearing agents for granted. He alleged that at a stakeholders’ meeting held last week at the command, the concessionaire had agreed not to mount the gate.
Adeola lamented that agents had resumed work on Monday to find out a large number of heavily armed police men deployed by Grimaldi to stop the agents from protesting or fighting back.
He vowed that there would be a full-fledged protest any moment from now because the concessionaire has invited police, thereby declaring war on the stakeholders. He also alleged that Grimaldi Shipping has refused to provide access cards to genuine agents to access the terminal
"They promised us not to embark on the project, only for them to come over the weekend to do it, already they have controlled their marketing department, this is the only access to customs and we were accessing the free access"
"Without customs we cannot do our work, and without the agents, customs would be useless, and without customs and agents, the Grimaldi has nothing to do"
"It is unfortunate that Grimaldi is trying to cage us and denying us our free access to the customs"
Also confirming the looming crisis to our correspondent, a freight forwarder, Mr. Ugochukwu Nnadi said that it was wrong for Grimaldi to erect a gate at customs entrance. He said Customs area should be accessed freely by intending business men for any business transaction.
"The gate should be put at the Grimaldi terminal and not the customs office, it will restrict many people from doing their business"
"The boys are planning to protest, and any moment from now it could happen" Nnadi warned.
He said the company has also refused to provide access cards to agents to enable them access the gate. Nnadi claimed that the lawyers to Grimaldi is demanding a bribe of N10,000 from agents to activate the access cards.
However, Public Relations Officer of PTML Customs Command, Mr. Steve Okonmah in a chat with Shipping Position Dailycondemned the claims by the agents, saying that many of the crowd trying to access the customs area have no business to transact with customs.
Okonmah said the access card method is commendable and fully supported by the customs. He said it is the duty of the terminal operators to provide security in compliance with the International Ships and Ports Security Facility (ISPS) Code.
He recalled that the access gate was also erected at the Mile 2 command of customs and it has helped to curtail the crowd.
"If you are coming to our valuation department, you must have your access card which showed you are genuine, most of them have nothing doing here, it is endangering the life of the people working here, not less than 300 people come to the customs valuation daily", he noted.
Okonmah however urged Grimaldi to provide a space for the clearing agents to sit while waiting to pick their cargoes at the port.
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