• Bribery Allegation Hits Globalscan At Apapa Port

Barely two months after it took over the scanning of containers at Apapa port, destination inspection company; Globalscan System Limited is already swimming in troubled waters as importers and their freight forwarders have alleged that the company is demanding gratification before carrying out scanning of containers.

Sources at the Apapa port confirmed to Shipping Position Daily yesterday that Global Scan officials allegedly demand for as much as N50, 000 from freight forwarders to scan a single container or else the container will be delayed at the port for several days to attract demurrage.

Our correspondent also gathered that the destination inspection company allegedly deliberately delay scanning of containers at the port in order to send the owner back to reroute it and in the process pay extra charges.

Confirming the development to Shipping Position Daily, the Coordinator of the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC) Chief Osita Patrick Chukwu said that the money is usually collected under the guise of facilitating clearance of containers, especially the overtime cargoes.

"Every money they are collecting here is for people to facilitate their jobs, and if you don't give, you will incur demurrage; demurrage is N12, 000 per day, by the time you stay for three days, that N50, 000 you are supposed to have given them would have accumulated". "A container can be here and they will argue about it for two months", he alleged further.

"It is because of the demurrage that makes the agent to buy their way out" Osita confirmed.

Osita stated that Global Scansystem Limited has not yet demonstrated that they are able to perform efficiently so as to meet the challenges of the Nigerian shippers.

He confirmed that as a result of the alleged demand for bribery, congestion is gradually resurfacing at the port.

He called on the Federal Government to direct the Nigeria Customs Service to begin implementation of 80 percent physical scanning of containers.

"They are still not doing anything, they are just starting, the congestion is building up more now, we have said that the Federal Government should start giving out 80 percent physical examination, let only 20 percent be going to scan for now", he advised.

"I know it is hard to come and start doing business where you have not been operating before, it will take you time to know the pattern of the people you are going to deal with" he said.

Also confirming the ugly trend, another freight forwarder and Chief Executive Officer of Ossy Gold Nigeria Limited, Mr Osita Machie also alleged that the company officials collect bribes to scan containers, but stated that it is not usually more than N5, 000 to N10, 000.

"They usually collect money, but not as much as they say, if you want your container to be fast (express) they will neglect those that have queued up, for them to scan they will collect money to facilitate your own against others wish", he added.

"They collect from N5, 000 to N10, 000"

"While they delay your container, terminal charges will increase, shipping company demurrage will also increase at the detriment of the importer" he said.

Machie demanded that the Federal Government should inject Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) on every goods imported because Nigeria is not manufacturing those goods, "so the duty base should be enshrined" he said.
But in a swift reaction to the allegations, the public relations officer of Globalscan; Mr Iroajugh Adile denied and declared that it was impossible for officials of the company to demand bribe from anyone.
He told our correspondent yesterday that, “it is not possible, they won’t do that, we have our internal mechanism to check them”.
He also stated that, it is not impossible that containers are on queue and that naturally, “if you feel that yours come before mine, and mine is being scanned, you will assume that someone has been bribed”.