Chris Osunkwo (Customs PRO, Tin Can)
Government has the right to control the terminal operators otherwise the business at ports will become a free for all affairs. We are looking at the way to reduce the cost of doing business at the ports because in all West African ports, there are complains that it is most expensive to do business at Nigeria ports than other countries; you and I know that. The setting up of the ministerial Committee to look into the problems of efficiency and cost of dong business at the ports is one of the measures to redress these anomalies. When our ports become user- friendly, there won’t be any need to divert vessel to other neighbouring countries. Government’s action in that direction is welcomed.
Prince Olusegun Ologbese (Maritime operator)
Any government policy measures introduced by the government to sanitize the business operations in the nation’s seaports should be applauded. Indeed I’m in support of government decision to look at efficiency at the ports and stop collection of arbitrary charges by the terminal operators. There are have been series of complaints by stakeholders about the unfriendly business environment in the ports. I am particularly with the terms reference especially as it relates to arbitrary delays, delay in releasing cargoes and other nefarious activities of some terminal operator who are reaping us off unduly. There other areas where the government should also look into which are affecting us as a nation. How much is Nigeria charging on the empty containers that are occupying every available space in the terminals. For example almost half of the terminals at Tin Can Island port have been taken over by empty containers.
Okonkwo Emenike (Freight forwarder)
I wish to commend the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman for his quick response to the agitation of stakeholders in the Nigerian ports over the unpalatable business attitude of the terminal operators and undue delays by the customs and multiple security agents. We have in the past complained severally about the arbitrary charges at ports and previous ministers in charge never deemed it fit to do anything about it. Even different National Assembly committees have visited the terminals only to express satisfactions with their operations. Everybody understands the trick of the lawmakers. Now that ministerial committee has submitted its report to the minister, I hope drastic action will be taken so that normalcy will return to the ports. However the number of days given to the ministerial committee was too short, but I know they‘ve done a very good job.
Dare Oluwatosin (Licensed customs agent)
Although, there are some stakeholders such as the Customs, NAFDAC, SON, SSS etc that are left out of the ministerial committee, however with what I have seen and read in the newspapers about its actions and decisions, I believe within the tenure of this minister of transport, there is going to be a great improvement in the method of doing business in the ports. What the minister is doing is what NPA should have done but has refused. We hope the federal government will implement the recommendations of the committee to the letter. I congratulate the minister and the committee.
Segunmaru Omotayo (PRO, ANLCA Tin Can)
The issue of arbitrary charges by the terminal operators has became a bone of contention because they never consult anybody before hiking it up, meanwhile there is supposed to be an agreement between stakeholders before they do that. Grimaldi has a terminal as well as in Cotonou, a 20foot container here in Nigeria will cost you minimum of N150, 000 while same container will cost you less than N50, 000 in Cotonou and we are in the same West Africa, it is not suppose to be so, the terminal operators have decided to exploit Nigerians because majority of us are either too busy while some are ignorant of the law. If the concessionaires refused to implement the directive of the task force to the letter especially as per reducing their charges, then we will take them to court because we know the amount they were charging before.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (Chairman, PTML NAGAFF)
The issue is not about setting up a task force, the problem we are having is that of implementation and follow up, when the task force visited our terminal and we went round, while speaking, the Managing director of Grimaldi who is not even a Nigerian made a comment which really touched me, he said when they were starting up the terminal, they were told that our government will establish a regulatory body to regulate the operation and charges of the terminal operators and that up till this point nobody regulates their charges or operations and that they do whatever they want. That is a foreigner telling us about a promise that was made six years ago; it means that he himself is not happy with how things are going.
So to me it’s not the issue of task force or the issue of going round, in the end it will end up a jamboree and all the bill for these exercise is eventually taken from the tax payers’ money. Of course, the intention has always been noble, but nothing usually comes out of them, I am not interested in whatever decisions they made, but to see physical and practical changes, government don’t need to set up a task force to establish a good working relationship, if they look at the terms of agreement all these things have been provided for but it is unfortunate that since concession nothing else was done.
Frank Aliakor (ANLCA, Apapa chapter)
The task force is on course, if their findings with regards the ports are implemented, I think the port will be better in terms of cargo clearance and delivery. If you go to that city office of APMT, there is no enabling environment at all so they needed to relocate and create a conducive environment where agents as customers will stay to transact their business. Secondly, the issue of charges is also one of the things we are talking about, they arbitrarily increase their charges without calling stakeholders; most especially, the unions, maybe they were capitalizing on the difference between agents but we want to tell them now that we are one with one voice, if they don’t comply then government should close them down and let NPA come back, because if the concessionaires go around charging money for services not rendered and increasing the charges all the time, then it has defeated the purpose of the whole port reform exercise.
Adeleye Ajayi (Maritime reporter)
The task force was inaugurated by the federal government and it has the powers of the federal government to carry out its national assignment. So, whatever decisions that they arrive at will be seen and taken in good faith for the betterment of the Nigerian port. At the end of the day when their findings are implemented the port will be better for it and cargo clearance will be facilitated.
Livingstone Ndukwu (Clearing agent)
The actions of the task force is a welcomed idea because these terminal operators do not even consider public holidays, they charge us for even Saturdays and Sundays which is very unfair, so I support of the task force, the charges they collect from us are too exorbitant. However they have facilitated port clearance to be a little bit faster than how it used to be and I think its okay but if the task force find them wanting then they should be able to prosecute them if not they will continue doing whatever they like.
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