Dangote Port Operations owners of Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL) terminal in Apapa has pledged the support of the group to the Shippers Association of Lagos (SALS), saying that the port cannot survive without the shippers.
Managing Director of GDNL, Capt. Joshua Oyewunmi made this pledge at the terminal in Lagos yesterday when he hosted executives of SALS led by its President;Rev. Jonathan Nicole who paid a courtesy visit to the Terminal.
Dangote Port Operations owners of Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL) terminal in Apapa has pledged the support of the group to the Shippers Association of Lagos (SALS), saying that the port cannot survive without the shippers.
Managing Director of GDNL, Capt. Joshua Oyewunmi made this pledge at the terminal in Lagos yesterday when he hosted executives of SALS led by its President;Rev. Jonathan Nicole who paid a courtesy visit to the Terminal.
Capt. Oyewunmi said that the shippers’ association is a watchdog that keeps all operators, especially the terminal operators on their toes, even as he attested that the association is all about honesty and openness.
"We know the importance of the shippers’ association in port operations, we know that you are very important to the nation, you are also a sort of life wire to all of us, so we must also keep you going"
"We continue to look up to you as a form of watchdog to make everybody tow the line of honesty, we know that without you, we may also derail and we know that you can also guide us from doing something wrong" Capt. Oyewunmi said.
Speaking on an upcoming industry event tagged "Towards a New Port Order" which is anchored by SALS and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Capt Oyewunmi also assured of Dangote Group's support in the event.
"You cannot do this thing alone on your own, we have to give you support and when we talk about support, we are not just talking about members, but also financial support, there is nothing one can do without financial support and you can always count on Dangote group to give you 100 percent support" he assured.
In his address, President of SALS, Rev. Nicole called for a new port reform where cost of doing business will be drastically reduced and controlled.
According to him, nothing much has been achieved on cargo management and the Nigeria Customs Service is yet to provide the enabling platforms to instill sanity in cargo management. He noted that the old order of queries and inflation of dutiable goods are still the order of the day.
"Shipping and terminal charges are on the increase; most of the existing clearing hazards are still in the port. The emergence of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as economic regulator is yet to achieve its objectives, because they are being strangulated by lack of funds"
"Despite all the challenges, the Shippers Association of Lagos State has continued to bark and now seek for a new port reform" Nicole stated.
While addressing the GDNL boss, Nicole solicited more financial, moral and professional support for SALS in terms of presenting its programme before President Goodluck Jonathan and in seeking recognition within government circles.
"We have reached a stage where we have to forge a new road map for posterity" Nicole said.
He also lamented the traffic gridlock on the Apapa port corridor, saying that it has been an impediment against effective operations of port operators.
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