About 285 containers loaded with vital aviation sector equipment and gadgets, belonging to the Federal Ministry of Transportation are currently trapped at both the Tin Can Island Port and the Apapa Port in Lagos.
This is even as members of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have called on the National Assembly to investigate both the Tin Can Island Command and the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, for their alleged failure to ensure that overtime containers are transferred to the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal for warehousing.
Investigations conducted by Shipping Position Daily revealed that contracts were awarded by the erstwhile Ministry of Aviation for the procurement and installation of conveyor belts, as well as construction of Hajj and Cargo Terminals at some Nigerian airports in 2012, as part of the famed upgrading and remodelling of all airports in Nigeria.
However, since the arrival of the containers in 2013, the assigned clearing agent company; Messrs Veetek Maritime Services Limited could not clear the cargoes. Our correspondent learnt that four of the containers are at Apapa Port, while the rest are currently abandoned at Tin Can Island port. The containers are said to be loaded with various items including; tent accessories with ceramic tiles of hi-cube and open top prefabricated house, Conveyor belts, conveyor belt accessories, counter accessories, seating accessories among others.
While reacting to this development in a chat with our correspondent last week, Chairman of Ikorodu Chapter of ANLCA; Prince Jimoh Lawal expressed his disappointment at the Tin Can and Apapa Customs command for not ensuring that the containers are transferred to Ikorodu.
He said that: “The customs has right to move containers to anywhere. A lot of containers that have been approved by the Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’ are still rotting away at the port”.
He alleged that the Controllers of the Tin Can and Apapa Command of Customs are always reluctant to approve containers for transfer and to prevail on terminal operators to transfer containers to Ikorodu terminal, saying that it is all in an effort to kill the Ikorodu terminal.
Also speaking with our correspondent, Public Relations Officer of the Ikorodu Chapter, Comrade Abayomi Pius called on the Customs Comptroller General to investigate both commands and their reluctance to ensure cargoes are stemmed to Ikorodu terminals. He said that “henceforth, customs headquarters should issue clearance on how containers would be leaving various commands to government warehouse”
“The terminal operators should get the number of the containers being taken away from their terminal and present it to the NPA and get back compensation on these containers because terminal operators have already paid to NPA for dropping these cargoes from the ship”
He alleged that after series of appeal by the ministry however, the container is yet to be released.
A letter of appeal for the release of the trapped aviation equipment containers sighted by our correspondent and dated October 14, 2016 was written and signed by the permanent secretary of the transportation ministry; Alhaji Sabiu Zakari. It was addressed to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service; Col Hameed Ali (rtd).
Part of the letter reads: “As a result of the long stay of the consignments at the ports, the service has labelled them as overtime cargoes which could be auctioned at any time. Furthermore, you may wish to be informed that the contractors have concluded works on the substructures of the terminals and are ready for the installation of the conveyor belts and other fabricated materials”
“In view of the importance of the projects to the economy and image of the nation in the eyes of foreigners visiting the country, kindly use your good office to direct the release of the containers for clearance and conveyance to various sites”.
Shipping Position Daily contacted the spokesperson of the Tin Can Island Command of Customs, Mr. Uche Ejesieme and he promised to get back with information. He eventually sent a text message saying that the customs was still investigating the situation.
On her part, Apapa Command’s spokesperson, Nkiruka Nwala told our correspondent that it is not the duty of the customs to transfer containers out of the port.
According to her, “the duty of the customs is to write to the terminal operators to release the containers which are overtime containers, but it is not the duty of customs to transfer such containers, it is the duty of the terminal operators to follow the letter written by customs”
“The best customs could do is to give the containers escorts whenever they are being transferred, the FOU will escort the containers”
“But you also must know that some of the terminal operators have alleged that some importers deliberately leave their consignments inside the terminal waiting for it to be transferred to Ikorodu as overtime. Whenever the container is transferred to Ikorodu, the importer does not pay the duty again, and you know that terminal operators are in business to make money”.
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