Dockworkers, ANLCA Members Clash At Tin Can Port As Planned Shutdown Of TICT Fails

• NAGAFF dissociates from action
Dockworkers operating at the Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) allegedly truncated a planned shutdown of the terminal by members of the Tin Can Island Chapter of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).

ANLCA had notified port stakeholders of the impending shutdown of the TICT terminal‎ by its members over the terminal's alleged insistence on collecting demurrage and other terminal charges from agents, especially on public holidays.

Early signs that the action was bound to fail had emerged last weekend when the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) directed its members at Tin Can not to be part of the action.

The Tin Can port chapter chairman of NAGAFF; Azubuike Ekweozor, in a statement made available to Shipping Position Daily had ordered members at the chapter to boycott the planned strike.

Ekweozor alleged that the strike was being hatched by ANLCA in order to disrupt businesses at the port.

"The strike which is to commence today (yesterday) is being hatched by our sister association in order to disrupt businesses at one of the nation's biggest ports where the Nigeria Customs Service collects its revenue on behalf of the federal government", the statement added.
Briefing newsmen at the ANLCA Tin Can Chapter Secretariat, the Public Relations Officer ‎of ANLCA at Tin Can Port, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeme however explained that the protest was necessary because TICT had been charging for services not rendered, even on Federal Government declared public holidays, including the last Democracy Day on May 29,2015.

But our correspondents confirmed that early yesterday, the ANLCA members were shocked when dockworkers under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) operating inside the terminal removed all barricades earlier mounted by ANLCA.

The union members also broke the keys which the agents had put on the port gate to prevent entrance.

Speaking on the failed action, the ANLCA image maker acknowledged that the terminal; TICT had used the union against it (ANLCA).

"The way TICT is treating Nigerians is very bad, whether they‎ work or they don't work, everybody that has consignments in their terminal will be charged on public holidays"

"When we came in this morning, we have decided what to do, only for us to find out that TICT have decided to use some people against us and this is why the protest could not take place again", he acknowledged.

A source close to the leadership of the Dockworkers union however confirmed to Shipping Position Daily that the Dockworkers were embittered because ANLCA had underrated them by not carrying them along or notifying them, especially at the district level.

"As at yesterday, the terminal operator confessed to me that they are ahead in anything ANLCA does, I believe that before you go to war, you must plan your strategy, information is very key"

"The gate was locked very early in the morning yesterday by ANLCA and before you know it, the Dockworkers broke the gate" he confirmed.

But the ANLCA spokesperson ; Onyeme tasked TICT to take a cue from indigenous concessionaire; Ports and Cargo‎ Terminal, and off-dock terminals like Mid Maritime Terminals and Duncan Terminals which according to him, are more friendly to Nigerians and do not charge on public holidays.

"These are the people following the old system of the NPA, those days when it comes to the issue of public holidays, it is normally free, but at TICT it is not so, on Christmas day they will tell you they are working, on boxing day, Sallah day, October 1st among others", he lamented.

He said that even though the banks do not operate on holidays, TICT usually hide under the guise of operating 24 hours to rob Nigerians. He accused the terminal operator of not respecting the maritime policies of the Federal Government.

Onyeme said that the Nigerian port system is not working 24 hours, and that terminal operators only use this as a cover-up.

‎However, as at the time of filing this report, the Port Manager of the Tin Can Island Port, Mr. Babatunde Longe and the Tin Can Island Customs Controller, Mr. Zakari Jibrin, as well as the Commissioner of Police in charge of Western ports, Mrs Harrison Hilda were reported to be holding a meeting and trying to broker peace among the stakeholders.