Barely three weeks after the two leading freight forwarding associations, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) rallied support for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s ambition of becoming the commercial regulator in the nation's seaports, the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers, Exporters Coalition(SNFFIEC)has also thrown its weight behind it, saying that the agency has what it takes to supervise ports activities and to checkmate the concessionaires.
Barely three weeks after the two leading freight forwarding associations, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) rallied support for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s ambition of becoming the commercial regulator in the nation's seaports, the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers, Exporters Coalition(SNFFIEC)has also thrown its weight behind it, saying that the agency has what it takes to supervise ports activities and to checkmate the concessionaires.
National Coordinator of the group, Chief Patrick Osita Chukwu told Shipping Position Daily on Monday in Lagos that having a commercial port regulator is long overdue for the maritime sector; he added that the regulator can address issues affecting clearing of cargoes and other activities at the seaports. He stated that it is high time government to acted fast in ensuring that activities of the concessionaires are monitored.
According to him, activities of APMT and other terminal operators are not fair to Nigerians and that if Shippers’ Council is given the role of a regulator in port operation, business will thrive.
He stressed that problems in the port cannot be solved without a commercial regulator, he added that things are not being done properly in the nation’s seaports because there is no regulator.
Osita lamented that Nigerians are not happy with the concessionaires and that port operations are poor both in infrastructures and in terms of standards.
The SNFFIEC leader noted that NIMASA has its own statutory responsibilities and it should not be over burden with other functions relating to port and harbour operations.
"Shippers Council should be given the role as a regulator, because they have what it takes and I believe that if they are given that role as regulator they perform effectively".
"NIMASA cannot be given more than they can chew because we know that Shippers’ Council can bite and they will be able to take care of the inlands while NIMASA takes care of the water security and safety of vessels calling in and out of the ports", Osita suggested.
"If Shippers Council becomes the regulator,shipping companies and terminal operators cannot rise up to say that they want to increase charges unnecessarily without following due process".
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