Apparently miffed by the excesses of terminal operators and shipping companies in the country, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council yesterday held a closed-door meeting with big wigs in the freight forwarding sector in other to find a permanent solution to the challenges confronting it.
One of the major focal points of the meeting was on how to solve the recurring cases of alleged arbitrariness of shipping companies and terminal operators in Nigeria and the soaring cost of doing business at the ports.
Apparently miffed by the excesses of terminal operators and shipping companies in the country, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council yesterday held a closed-door meeting with big wigs in the freight forwarding sector in other to find a permanent solution to the challenges confronting it.
One of the major focal points of the meeting was on how to solve the recurring cases of alleged arbitrariness of shipping companies and terminal operators in Nigeria and the soaring cost of doing business at the ports.
The executive secretary of the Shippers Council; Barrister Hassan Bello noted that complaints from port users have continued to increase even as he said that the port concession exercise has not been able to bring down the high cost of trading at Nigerian ports.
"Studies carried out support the fact that cost has continued to escalate while patronage of neighbouring ports by Nigerian shippers continue to increase, thus denying the Federal Government much needed revenue from the port industry" he said.
Some of those in attendance were the National president of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, his NAGAFF counterpart; Chief Eugene Nweke, President of National Council of Managing Directors, Mr. Lucky Amiwero as well as the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
Others were; the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria ( CRFFN); Sir Mike Jukwe, chief executive officer of Multitrade Limited, Alhaji Al hassan Dantata as well as the Secretary of the Lagos Shippers Association, Mr. Jonathan Nicole.
Speaking further at the meeting, the Executive Secretary stated that the main objective of the gathering was to find ways of improving the operational performance of the ports and make it more efficient, cost effective and safe.
Also speaking, the Director of Commercial Shipping Services of the Council, Mrs Dabney Shal-holmer solicited the cooperation of the stakeholders in implementing the outcome of the brainstorming session.
"We sincerely believe that you are the key that will open the industry to success, without you as seated around this table, this industry will not move well, we have been in this industry long enough to realize that just a single session of people seating here can scuttle whatever policy released by government, so we need your support and collaboration"
Even though the media was excluded from the meeting, but addressing journalist on the resolution of the meeting, Barrister Hassan Bello assured that the council is ready to take the bull by the horn in ensuring that its laws on charges negotiation is enforced.
He said that henceforth, there will be sanctions for companies found to be billing shippers unnecessarily.
"The laws also provide for sanctions and these will be meted out accordingly because the transport cost must be sanitized, the whole essence of port reforms is to bring down cost" he maintained.
Also speaking, Founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam explained that issues discussed have to do with port operations and smooth flow of cargo.
According to him, the absence of a port regulator has further thrown the sector into confusion.
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