Stakeholders operation at Onne and Port Harcourt ports in Rivers state have cried out to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to be bold and courageous in carrying out its responsibilities, especially as it concern enhancement of trade facilitation across all ports in the country.
Particularly, they tasked the Council to ensure that it breaks the alleged monopoly being enjoyed by one of the port concessionaires at the Eastern ports; Intels Nigeria Limited, which according to them has ran many other companies like Brawal Shipping out of business.
Stakeholders operation at Onne and Port Harcourt ports in Rivers state have cried out to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to be bold and courageous in carrying out its responsibilities, especially as it concern enhancement of trade facilitation across all ports in the country.
Particularly, they tasked the Council to ensure that it breaks the alleged monopoly being enjoyed by one of the port concessionaires at the Eastern ports; Intels Nigeria Limited, which according to them has ran many other companies like Brawal Shipping out of business.
This appeal was made to the council last week during a one day sensitization seminar on the role of Nigerian Shippers’ Council as economic and commercial regulators of the ports across the country in Port Harcourt.
One of the speakers at the forum; Mr Daniel Okeke lamented what he called high handedness of Intels at Onne sea port.
“The monopoly of Intels at Onne port is killing agents. We are suffering as a result of arbitrary hike in tariffs and high handedness of Intels”, he stressed.
He frowned at the high tariff the company charges compared with what is charged at Lagos ports, even as he begged the council to find convenient ways to harmonize ports charges between Lagos ports and Onne ports.
He alleged further that payments in Onne are now made in Dollars and wondered if the Naira is no longer a legal tender in that part of the country.
“Onne Free Zone is killing us. Let Nigerian Shippers’ Council do their work. They should not compromise. I pray again that Nigerian Shippers’ Council should not compromise”, he appealed.
Earlier in a message, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Commerce in Rivers State; Mrs Cadilow Brown who presented the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, urged the Shippers’ Council to continue in their awareness campaign to bring information to Rivers people so that they can take advantage of the potentials within the industry.
Responding however, the South – South Zonal Coordinator of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council; Mr. Maurice Effanga assured that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council will leave no stone unturned in ensuring full compliance by operators across the Eastern Ports.
He faulted some operators at the Eastern ports who are challenging directives given by the council on collection of fees which he said add up to the tariffs payable by container owners and advised them to desist from the act.
Effanga stated that the appointment of Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the commercial regulator of the ports is not by accident and added that the Federal Government was conscious of the fact that it was losing revenue to neighboring countries as a result of high tariffs and other bottlenecks within the Nigerian ports.
“What we are doing is in the interest of importers, their agents and other stakeholders across the ports”, Effanga stated.
According to him, the mission of the council was previously to protect and defend the interest of Nigerian Shippers, but with the present status as port economic regulator, the council now protects all stakeholders, investors and consumers.
“The reasons for this role border on arbitrary increases in rates and charges by service providers, poor services, charging for services not rendered, problems encountered during clearance of cargoes, delays at the ports, high freight and unjustified surcharges by shipping lines, high and arbitrary increases in haulage rates, interference by government agencies on cargo movement and the prevalence of various taxes and levies”, noted.
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