Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders (APFFLON) and the Concerned Nigerian Registered Freight Forwarders (CNRFF) have urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other agencies of government to urgently address lingering managerial and operational issues in the port industry.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, the President APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite said APPFLON, as a maritime advocacy group, can not feign ignorance about the present plight of freight forwarders and show of gross display of insensitivity by concerned authorities.
The association said It has been an era of helplessness for freight forwarders as those expected to raise voices in the defense of the freight forwarders are the ones shouting them down for selfish interests.
Ogunojemite further said APFFLON as an advocacy group, will never support any ploy targeted at emasculating the welfare of freight forwarders or actions militating against the policy of Ease of Doing Business.
According to him, “We are not unaware of myriad of operational challenges currently being faced by freight forwarders,which include, issues of multiple alerts on single declaration, skyrocketed CIF, frustration of freight forwarders by Taskforce, FOU, Enforcement and Valuation Units, shipping companies’ high-handedness, especially, forceful collection of 10 to 14 days upfront charges and additional demurrage demand after the expiration of initial rating on containerized goods, delays in refund of container deposits, high level of impunity by terminal operators despite non-availability of standard equipment, police harassment and interception of exited containers and vehicles as well as regular attacks on freight forwarders by Area Boys, etc”
“Recall that in May this year, the House Committee on Customs and Exise led by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Leke Babajide, in a tour of Customs Commands and all Ports, to carry out investigation on transparency and how to improve ports operations, insisted that the House would in the cause of the oversight function and on-the-spot assessment, ascertain the status of scanners, and why despite the massive investment for their acquisition and prior modernization of its operation, the service, yet again, failed to achieve modernization objectives.
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“APFFLON, was one of the groups that commended the Committee for condemning the resort to physical inspection of cargoes which is grossly time consuming, ineffective, and laced with corruption. The Chairman, during the tour, noted that manual cargo inspection also contributes to delays in the ports and land borders, describing it as an “untenable status quo that must be changed”.
“APFFLON is shocked to the marrow, that six months after that very tour, nothing has changed, rather we have continued to face worse operational challenges.
“APFFLON, though in total support of CNRFF’s position, is of the opinion that every issues has to be resolved at a roundtable, not supporting an industrial action yet but would want all the issues to be urgently addressed”.
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