For the first time since the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed to assume the port economic regulator status, the Shippers Association of Lagos State has called on the Federal Government to fund the Council if it must succeed in its new role.
President of the association, Rev. Jonathan Nicole in an interview with Shipping Position Daily last week noted that the responsibilities placed on the Council since its new role is now five times higher, he however said that the Council was not given adequate funds and laws to back it up.
For the first time since the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was appointed to assume the port economic regulator status, the Shippers Association of Lagos State has called on the Federal Government to fund the Council if it must succeed in its new role.
President of the association, Rev. Jonathan Nicole in an interview with Shipping Position Daily last week noted that the responsibilities placed on the Council since its new role is now five times higher, he however said that the Council was not given adequate funds and laws to back it up.
According to him, the 3% out of the 7% port surcharge which was recently rumored to have been assigned to the Council to execute its new mandate has turned out to be empty talks.
Nicole said, "the responsibility on the Shippers Council is now five times of what they use to regulate and yet they are not funded, it becomes a problem because they cannot function, right now they are working on a very tight rope"
"The government is not helping out enough, sadly today there are people who do not even want the council to be the regulator, they prefer a private company to come in and take the function, how can a private outfit come and reap where they did not sow" he said
"The limitation of the Shippers’ Council stems from government itself, they appointed them to be regulator, but they didn't give them the power to regulate, it is only when they are given this powers that they can regulate".
He lamented the absence of adequate law to back the Council to do what government wants it to do; saying that these two key issues must be put in place for the Council to excel.
Rev. Nicole also told our correspondent that the Shippers Association of Lagos State is ready to engage the Federal Government on the creation of a new port order for Nigerian ports.
Nicole lamented that until now, not much investment and development has been embarked upon by the port concessionaires. He said that the duty of shippers’ council is also to lay down the platform and how to go about the new port order.
He said that his association is planning a one-day summit where all Nigerian shippers will make a position paper to President Goodluck Jonathan on how to achieve a new port order.
Nicole hinted that the event will have position papers mainly from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and NACCIMA.
"We are going to sit and tell government what we want, it is our cargo and without the shipper there will be no ports, I am personally visiting some factories, some of them are our members, some are MAN members, we are inviting MAN, we are also inviting NACCIMMA, and Chambers of Commerce for them to come. We don't think we will have too many papers, everybody have been talking about this problem, but now we want solution"
"We are looking for a well organized terminal where cargoes can be managed properly like PTML terminal is doing, and everybody should copy that standard, this is why we are saying we need a new port order" Nicole said.
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