The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has expressed dissatisfaction with the low turn-out of importers and exporters at last week’s workshop designed to harness and protect their interest.
Speaking at the workshop put together by the Council in collaboration with Centre for Transparency in Maritime Practice [CTMP], Shippers’ Council Director of Commercial Services, Mrs Dabney Shall Holma said that ethics is the bedrock a successful business even as she frowned at the low turnout of the traders that were in attendance.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has expressed dissatisfaction with the low turn-out of importers and exporters at last week’s workshop designed to harness and protect their interest.
Speaking at the workshop put together by the Council in collaboration with Centre for Transparency in Maritime Practice [CTMP], Shippers’ Council Director of Commercial Services, Mrs Dabney Shall Holma said that ethics is the bedrock a successful business even as she frowned at the low turnout of the traders that were in attendance.
According to her, most of the diversion of cargoes that is billed for Nigeria to Cotonou eventually ends up at the Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos Badagry expressway.
Shall Holma reiterate that her expectation was to meet with thousands of importers and exporters in attendance but expressed dismay on the low turnout of the shippers.
‘’I expected that all the traders would fill up this hall ,listen to the rules ,the procedures and understand the basic needs of ethics and understand why corruption is detrimental to trade as well as detrimental to the national economy and then key in to the need to formalization of trade but I didn’t see that’’.
‘’I expected that if the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is holding a workshop, seminar with or without an organization like [CTMP] or [ICPC], it is Nigerian Shippers’ Council that will be the centre of attraction and like a magnet and that has been our yardstick because we are genuine and everything we do is intent of the dynamics of the trade and we try as much as possible to address those critical issues that are killing the industry’’, she stated.
She said that the NSC is a serious agency of the government that is geared to protect and enlighten importers, pointing out that the council cares for the Nigerian economy.
The director added that the council is ready to do anything to ensure that the shippers are well protected in areas that will affect their business.
She also urged the importers and exporters present at the workshop to uphold integrity and ethics when transacting business as it relates to international trade.
Shall Holma noted that importers are humiliated at the borders of neighbouring West African countries due to their patronage.
‘’Why don’t you come to the organization that is ready to cry out on your behalf for as long as they are credible, a risk assessment shall be carried out for them, with integrity is high, their ethical, come for consultation, they go by the rules and they obey procedures and guidelines and they plan for their business are the things demanded of you which is a product of education’’.
‘’If don’t align yourself to that kind of education you won’t get it because it doesn’t come easy because we are established to listen to your complaint ‘’she added.
In response, the importers present at the workshop stressed that adequate publicity and awareness campaign programmes was not put in place by the NSC even as they commended the effort of the Council and the CTMP for organizing the enlightenment and educative workshop.
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