The Nigerian Shippers Council has disclosed that, a survey conducted recently indicated that most officials of government agencies in the port request for ‘facilitation payments ‘’ from port users.
The bombshell was dropped on Tuesday by the Director of Consumer Affairs Department at the Nigerian Shippers Council; Ms Azuka Ogoh, at a workshop on corruption risk assessment and implementation of integrity plan in the port sector.
Ogoh who represented the Council’s Executive Secretary; Mr Hassan Bello at the event which held in Lagos, confirmed that the survey was participated in by officials of government agencies in the ports.
Ms Ogoh however commended the agencies for their active participation in the port steering committee survey, adding that there has been an improved standard of service delivery at the ports.
The workshop was put together by Maritime Anti – Corruption Network (MACN) in collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The workshop was part of measures to encourage foreign direct investment in the country, through ethical trade practices, especially at the port.
Reiterating its commitment to vigorously reduce corrupt practices in the nation’s ports, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council also assured stakeholders that it would reduce cost of transportation and the cost of doing business at the ports.
“The Nigerian Shippers Council, as the economic regulator for nation’s ports has taken note of the outcome of the survey which shows that a large number of government officials request facilitation payments in the ports; this however varies from port to port”, Ogoh told the gathering.
Stressing that one of the objectives of the port reforms include, encouragement of foreign direct investment, she maintained that ,”reduction of transport costs and costs of doing business and elimination of corrupt practices must be vigorously pursued”.
She appealed to stakeholders to contribute their quota towards ports development in the country and ensure that best practices are achieved through standards.
She also explained that the introduction of the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) has helped to monitor cargoes and transportation of goods along designated trading routes from point of origin to final destination.
Also speaking, spokesperson of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Mr. Rasheedat Okoduwa said that government will continue to device means and strategies of curtailing corruption in the port.
She noted that corruption still thrive in shipping companies as well as in agencies of government in the maritime sector, calling on stakeholders to work together , fight and expose all forms of corruptions.
She said, “We hope as we work to strengthen our systems and procedures against corruption that the international community will proceed against errant shipping companies in a manner that creates effective deterrence”.
“We are confident that this training workshop will enhance the capacity of participants to deal positively with ethnical challenges of the global shipping industry”, she stated.
On her part chairperson, Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) Cecilia Muller Torbrand said that the training is to create awareness on the need to reduce corrupt practices so as to boost economic growth.
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