Group Gives Shipping Companies, Concessionaires Ultimatum

For the alleged questionable charges and practices in the nation’s sea ports, the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers, Exporters, Coalition [SNFFIEC], has given a 14 days showdown notice to shipping companies and terminal operators.
The group said that the show down will commence on the 21st of August 2012 if the concessionaires fail to comply with their demands.

For the alleged questionable charges and practices in the nation’s sea ports, the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers, Exporters, Coalition [SNFFIEC], has given a 14 days showdown notice to shipping companies and terminal operators.
The group said that the show down will commence on the 21st of August 2012 if the concessionaires fail to comply with their demands.
The Group led by the National Coordinator Chief Patrick Osita Chukwu, said that the concessionaires are threat to Nigerians and that if the right steps are not taken, it could lead to economic sabotage.
Chief Osita told Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday   that ‘’ our position is that we have given them ultimatum that if nothing is done to reduce their charges then we will embark on protest which I must say will be a revolution protest’’.
‘’The shipping companies and the terminal operators are not fair to the nation’s economy  and majority of them are threat to Nigeria and our position  is that we have given them a 14 days’ notice,  if nothing is done on the charges’’.
He said that the concessionaires have been consistently unfair to Nigerians importers and freight forwarders adding that it is unfair of them to come out with N400, 000 as container deposit charges.
According to him, “how can they give N400, 000 to pay as container deposit and then a container that landed within eight days is having a bill of N800 , 000, then if you have about 50 containers ,multiply by N800 ,000, it is N40 , 000,000 then how can the importers make their money in port business’’, he asked.
He went further to argue that “invariably the concessionaires are killing the economy and as a result of that the ports will not grow because congestion is already on the high side’’.
Chief Osita said that the concessionaires have capitalized on the irregularities that are common in the maritime industry and port operations, adding that it has become an advantage for them rip Nigerians.
‘’The concessionaires have capitalized on the irregularities within the framework of the bad roads within the ports as regards to extort Nigerians’’, the coordinator stated.
Apart from the high charges by the concessionaires on containers deposit, the group’s coordinator lamented the multiple checking of containers by the Nigeria Customs Service after examination which according to him is a failure on their part.