Chief Achike Molokwu [Stakeholder]
Chief Achike Molokwu [Stakeholder]
The Nigeria port ought to be attractive to the rest of the world due to the fact that we are import- dependent but it is not visible. The committees upon committees set up by federal government have not been able to address the issue on ground as well. The presidential committee on port reform led by Professor Sylvester Monye will not make any difference. I am using this medium to call on the presidency to look at the issue and to see how the port system can improve. The Professor Monye led committee is there and shipping companies are milking Nigerians which we all know it a problem to the port system and it has not been addressed by them so what are we saying? The services rendered by the terminal operators are poor, so how can I say I am satisfied with the committee on port reform where everything remains stagnant in the port.
Dan Williams [P.R.O, FFAN]
For once we have seen where technocrats are being called to do what they know how to do even though we are yet to see the outcome of the committee. I believe that with the level of their knowledge and experience in the maritime industry, the presidential committee on port reform will do well .I mean they know the loopholes stakeholders are facing but based on what is on ground right now ,the areas that they have been able to address, I think we have not seen any achievement made by the port reform committee headed by Professor Sylvester Monye in the areas of changes in the ports system.
Mr. Increase Uche [Nat.Sec.Gen NAGAFF]
I say that a lot has been said by the media that this committee on the achievement they have been able to make within a short while since they have been in existence. But to me what they are supposed to do is yet undone; at least addressing the problems stakeholders are facing in the port system. The port access road is yet to be addressed and it is the responsibility of the committee to address the lingering traffic in the port environment. There has been a catalogue of problems in the port of the terminal operators that is yet to be tackled by the committee. If the Professor Monye committee has yielded any positive result as we read on the pages of news paper, it would have been manifested in the port operations but it has not. Stakeholders have been lamenting on arbitrary charges by the shipping companies and nothing has been done to that effect, so what are their achievements? What the presidential committee should do right now is to address shipping companies on their charges because there is no regulatory agency that oversees their affairs.
Barr.Osuala Nwagbara [Maritime Lawyer]
You will recall that when the economic team was put together ,they visited the port and a decision was reached which one of them was the sacking of some government agencies from the port to the extent that they have not been able to come back ,with that I will say that they did well .The federal operation unit of the Nigeria Customs Service are no longer found on the highways to check containers and that is a plus to the Monye- led committee on port reform ,the abolition of cargo tracking note and we have not heard of it again which is a job well done by the committee, but I must say that the issue of traffic within the port is a big problem that should be address by the committee and also the biggest one of the all which is the benchmark value by customs on imported goods and I think the committee should tackle that issue with all sincerity because it is illegal to the port operation .The presidential committee on port reform should insist on the right thing being done in the procedure to determine improvement in the port.
Comrade Mike Okuh [Dockworker]
We only read in newspaper that the committee has been able to move 4,000 containers to Ikorodu, but we still experience port congestion which to me is a minus on their part. We also heard that the tanker drivers along the port access road will not be seen anymore, but they are still found on the expressway which to me is a failed attempt by the committee and to crown it all shipping companies and terminal operators are making things difficult for all as a result of their charges, then it is the duty of the committee to look into that area to effect a change in the port operation.
Emmannuel Tobi (Freight forwarder)
We have not felt the work the committee is doing, traffic situation is even worse than befor; from mile 2, before you get to the port it takes you hours, so how much time do you have left to stay in the port and do your business. Secondly there is nothing like 48hours, if you pass your entry it takes three days or a week, nobody has used 48hours to clear things from the port, and concerning the 24hours operation that they are talking about, if other people have seen it, I have not seen it working. The agencies that were suspended from the port are still there, if you go to Tin can Island port or mile-2 you will still see them there, the SSS are still there. To me, the impact of the committee is not being felt.
Owolabi Omotayo (Water transporter)
The overall performance of the committee is not satisfactory at all, it has not been felt, if you go round now you will still see trucks parking all around the port access road and disturbing movement, their presence there is now even killing other small businesses along the axis, many business have relocated from the Apapa/ Oshodi axis because of the menace of the trucks and tankers, they excrete and destroy the environment, and this committee up till tomorrow are not doing anything, the problem is still there and glaring to everybody every day, the committee has to do more than this. We must also understand that the port concession has further led to increase in cargo throughput and this is why you see trucks parking everywhere, secondly they did not make adequate provision for trucks when the concession was carried out.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (Freight forwarder)
So far, they have made some contributions, and in Nigeria, any slight change anywhere is welcomed, because it is only in Nigeria that you don’t see changes, but unfortunately the only thing constant in life is change, government upon governments come and go but you don’t see changes, so anyone that comes in and brings in change will have to be commended and given pass mark, they have recorded some changes, like the 24hours port operation, on the port access road, I believe they are trying their best and I agree that so far, they are trying.
Mr. Livingstone Ndukwu (Clearing Agent)
As far as I am concerned the committee has not done anything, how many times have they been to the port, what government officials do is to arrange police men on the road any day they want to visit the port so that their won’t be traffic, if government really wants to know what the true condition of the port is, they should try and come to the port on an ordinary day so that they can face what we are facing. The access roads are still blocked and there is no easy access to the port, I left my house 9am this morning and I got to the port 2pm, apart from this, the agencies that the committee claim to have evicted from the port are still there hanging around, they have even gone to go and lobby the lawmakers to allow them come back, so the committee is not effective at all. The 24hours port operation that they are talking about and claiming its working has never happened, so they should stop saying it. In my assessment, the presidential committee has not done well since they started their work, government should try and implement its policies and stop paying lip service to it.
Discussion about this post