The Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) has expressed dissatisfaction at the way the Port Economic Regulator; the Nigerian Shippers’ Council was handling challenges bedeviling the ports, saying that the Council has also failed to curb excesses of fellow Government agencies and other impunity that has taken over the port environment.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, a trustee of SALS; Mr Nichodemus Odollo said that Nigerian shippers are gradually losing confidence in the ability of the Shippers’ Council and the shipping community. According to him, the group is seeking to engage new partners within and outside the country in order to build its empire.
He lamented that the port concession that was carried out in 2006 has failed, even as he alleged that government agencies are desperate to write-off the existence of shippers.
Specifically, Odollo saluted the discussants of the last Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime (TAAM) Conference held at the University of Lagos on 20th of August, 2018.
"In particular, Chief Sarumi who said private monopoly came along with the Port concession Agreement from the Federal Government."
"The frank and honest talk in that conference tags with the Shippers' Association Lagos State stand for the past 5 years"
"If business environment is saturated with deliberate harsh conditions that has brought so much disdain and suspicions in the minds of Traders in Nigeria, it shows that the intention of the Government is to destroy the commonwealth of Shippers, Importers and Exporters"
"We are gradually loosing confidence in the ability of all the existing Port Regulators for their inability to curb excesses of fellow Government Agencies. Impunity has taken over the trade environment. It is like a script being performed on stage by the MDAs with faulty platform from the very beginning"
"The protectors of Shippers have indeed failed. Because they are equally swimming in the brackish dirty waters infested with wild predators"
"We are seeking to engage new partners within and outside the country and probably to build our empire. There is so much corruption, so many infractions. Too many compromises with the environment even from those that should show examples"
"We salute the courage of the discussants as they cut the red tapes with frankness"
"Solutions proffered during the Conference were repetition of existing calls for a New Port Order. However, we are losing confidence and trust in the Government Agencies who wants to take everything that belongs to everyone" he said.
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