I think I am satisfied, the NPA is wearing a new cap now as they are called port regulator, they have been mediating between the agent and the terminal operators and shipping companies, I think in this matter you cannot rule them out because they really tried, but of course you know one cannot always get everything he asks for, the issue was not anybody’s making, it was a general strike that affected everybody, but we thank God that our national president was able to intervene and we are all now at an agreement.
Olorogun A.I Ugwi (Clearing Agent)
I am not satisfied with the way NPA handled the matter and in fact I don’t like the way demurrage issues are handled generally in the port, the facts are obvious, if you go to the road now from tin can to mile2, you see containers are queuing up and they may remain there for two weeks before they can come in, the shipping companies do not care if trailers come in or not, they will continue to charge demurrage whereas the agent has finished his work and delivered to the importers. Demurrage should stop immediately the agent has received his cargo from the port and shipping companies must stop collecting maintenance from vehicles outside when they have not been able to receive the ones inside.
Oladipo Bolade (Asst. National Sec. ANLCA)
I will say that I am satisfied and I will also say that I am not satisfied, this I say because it is a two -way thing, if you look at it very carefully, the NPA tried what they could because they have now just been made a commercial regulator, they are only acting as mediators between the terminal operators and the agents and you cannot blame NPA because there is an extent to which they can control the terminal operators, these terminal operators are business men that are there to make money, some of the shipping companies said that they are paying royalty to the federal government on daily basis and that they also expect government to waive those periods of strike which they failed to waive, so in view of this we just have to accept fate and continue our work at the port, NPA tried what they could.
Abdullakeem Akanji (Clearing Agent)
I am okay with the way the issue was handled because at the end of the whole saga, the shipping companies agreed to waive a total of eleven days for us, that is the one week of strike and the normal three days, if they had not done this, I could have complained, I believe the NPA tried, you know the way the organization is structured now is quite different from the way it used to operate before. In any case, everything at the port is now back to normal and business is going on fine.
Mr. A.O Vincent (National Sec. AREFFN)
I don’t think the Nigerian Ports Authority has done much since they took on the landlord role at the port, they are concentrating only on channel maintenance, developing quay side and dredging, meanwhile the common user facilities are not well maintained, the security aspect of the port is also being neglected, if you go to the port and its environs you see a lot of people selling drinks and loitering the place, there is need for them to rise up to these challenges.
Peter Paul Uzobude [Licensed Customs Agents]
I do not support the way Nigeria Port Authority handled the demurrage war that happened recently in the ports. I will say there is a political will to that effort for the landlord to take side with the shipping companies. It looks as if the Nigeria Port Authority is trying to protect the interest of these foreign investors. The NPA should been neutral in the whole affair since they do not have total control of the shipping lines and terminal operators. During the era when NPA was in charge, they wave all the days that are affected as a result of industrial action. As landlord of the port, they are not supposed to take side with terminal operators at all. It is obvious that they are in support of APMT and other companies involved and we are not the cause of the whole situation in the first instance however it is the end users that suffer.
Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick [Coordinator SNFFIEC]
No, I do not support the way NPA actually handled the whole things on the war of demurrage charges because the Nigeria Port Authority are still the custodian of the ports even though the ports have been concessioned. The freight forwarders are not in any way involved in the few days of strike that halted the economy. If such things persist on the nation’s maritime sector, then we will experience what we call hyper inflation in the country because the clearing agents will increase their charges when it comes to clearing of goods from the ports and the end users as well suffer as well, so the NPA are still the custodian of the ports in the country and as they were unable to address the issue properly as government agency, then you will agree with me that we do not have a regulatory agency for our ports.
Mr. Richard Daniel [Freight Forwarder]
We are not satisfied with the way the Nigeria Ports Authority handled the scenario because it is not done in other parts of the world even as at when the port was still fully under the NPA we experienced series of strike and industrial action which the NPA grant waiver automatically for clearing agents and importers. But since they have concessioned the ports to private companies, NPA has little or nothing to contribute because the private operators provide the facilities at the port and it cost billions of naira to maintain these facilities and infrastructures, so demurrage charges on the process of clearing goods generates more profit for them.
Mr.Chuks Okereafor [Terminal Operator]
To me the NPA is supposed to provide infrastructures to make things easier, but those things are not visible. This has also contributed to some of the lapses that take place in our port system. It is not about the way NPA handles the whole crisis between freight forwarders and shipping companies and terminal operators, but how to move the port system forward because on our part, we waive all the days involved during the industrial action.
Mr Okpara Chibueze [Clearing Agent]
It is a welcome idea and to a large extent I support the way they went about addressing the issue as it affects everyone involved in the clearing goods out of the port, because if not for their intervention as landlord and for peace to reign between clearing agents and the terminal operators, I do not think some would be able to clear their goods out of the port at the moment. Their little intervention made some differences.
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