Sequel to the alarm that was raised by freight forwarders and importers on the failure of internet facilities to enable clearing of consignment from Apapa port, no fewer than 1000 units of vehicles were said to have been trapped at Standard Flour Mill (SFM) terminal leading to congestion.
Investigations by Auto Port Weekly revealed that as a result of the failed internet serves, vehicles at SFM were unable to be cleared since on the 30th of August, causing panic and groaning among their owners.
Sequel to the alarm that was raised by freight forwarders and importers on the failure of internet facilities to enable clearing of consignment from Apapa port, no fewer than 1000 units of vehicles were said to have been trapped at Standard Flour Mill (SFM) terminal leading to congestion.
Investigations by Auto Port Weekly revealed that as a result of the failed internet serves, vehicles at SFM were unable to be cleared since on the 30th of August, causing panic and groaning among their owners.
When Auto Port Weekly, visited the terminal in Lagos early last week, operational activities were stalled and customs officers were seen making efforts to ensure that vehicles exit the terminal.
Some of the angry freight forwarders, who spoke to our correspondent, frowned at what they described as the lackluster attitude on the part of the Nigeria Customs Service and that of the terminal operator.
National Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC),chief Patrick Osita Chukwu said that there is need for the customs to have back-up facilities to enable easy clearance of vehicles from the terminal, especially when there is a problem with the server.
Speaking further, the coordinator said that, "this is what we are saying about government intervention to monitor what is going on at the seaports". We expected the customs to have back up in their servers because the internet plays a key role in clearance of consignment".
Osita also called on the terminal operator to assist the customs in critical areas. According him, vehicles awaiting clearance have been trapped in the terminal for days which have made agents to be angry.
He also raised the alarm over the congestion of vehicles at the terminal as vessels at berth were unable to discharge their consignments.
As at last Monday, our correspondent also gathered that MV Yasa Aysen was expected to discharge bulk wheat at the terminal, but the large volume of vehicles trapped at SFM made it impossible for her to discharge on arrival.
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