The Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS) has called on all maritime industry stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the ongoing protest embark upon by freight forwarders at the APM Terminal saying that it is a time bomb waiting to explode if not nipped in the bud urgently.
The Shippers’ Association of Lagos State (SALS) has called on all maritime industry stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the ongoing protest embark upon by freight forwarders at the APM Terminal saying that it is a time bomb waiting to explode if not nipped in the bud urgently.
The association also lamented that billions of Naira has been lost since the strike started, it also noted that the action might escalate to other terminals nationwide and should stakeholders fail to intervene, the problem will have a devastating effect on the nation's economy.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos yesterday, President of the association, Jonathan Nicole stated that the situation at hand needs professional intervention, adding that there is the need for dialogue in resolving the strike action.
Nicole stated that, "we believe that the problem at hand is what we can discuss on a round table or a breakfast meeting because Nigeria is our country".
He noted that, "there is the need to effect a change in the nation's port operations because the cost of doing business in Nigeria ports still remains the most expensive in the world"
"If the ports are all shutdown nationwide, it will be a disaster, now it is a warning protest with one of the terminals in Apapa port, and Apapa port remains the biggest port in Nigeria, so we just need to address the issue collectively before something else will happen".
He however urged terminal operators and shipping companies to reduce their charges, noting that everyone is affected by the 13 days protest.
The president SALS also lauded the effort of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council to order shipping companies and terminal operators to reduce their respective charges.
"The shippers’ council took the right direction because what they are asking from the concessionaires is not much”, he argued.
He further forecast that the court cases between the Nigeria Shippers’Council and STOAN and SAN may appear to be the most celebrated case in Nigeria, urging the affected parties to embark on a gentleman approach to the issue.
Nicole affirmed that the present crisis at the Lagos port has scared shippers away from Nigerian ports to neighbouring ports owing to the fact that consignment cannot leave the seaport as at present coupled with the already high cost of doing business in Nigeria ports.
"Conservatively, what the maritime industry has lost in the last nine days or so, is far beyond N34 billion which cut across board, including shipping companies ,terminal operators, transporters, freight forwarders etc", he added.
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