Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC); Mr. Emmanuel Jime has revealed that the lives of some of the council’s staff who are currently part of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) are in danger as a result of the fight against corruption at the nation’s ports.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Lagos, Jime lamented that corruption is currently fighting back at the Lagos ports.
According to him, the council is engaged in a fight that no agency of government has ever being engaged in, adding that the council is fighting in a territory where the challenge is more than what anyone can ever imagine.
He specifically disclosed that the life of the National Coordinator, Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) of the agency, Moses Fadipe is in danger, owing to the fight against corruption at the port.
He said: “We are engaged in a fight that no agency of government has ever being engaged in. We are fighting in a territory where the challenge is more than what anyone can ever imagine.
“The National Coordinator, Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) of our agency, Moses Fadipe is seated here, but I can tell you that there are lots of butterflies in his stomach because these guys life is in danger.
“The lives of Moses Fadipe and his team are in danger because they are fighting against a corrupt system that has been here for a very long time. Please, help us, kindly help us shine light on happenings along the port corridor. We have to rid the port of the endemic corruption that has gone up to a level anybody can ever imagine.
He informed that the PSST has cardinal areas, which are; Joint Vessel Boarding, Joint Cargo Examination & Operation free port access roads.
On joint vessel boarding as mandated by the government he said the activities of the PSST team saved the Nigerian economy an average vessel demurrage of $20, 000 per day between year 2020 and 2021, which ultimately translates to the sum of $6, 540, 000 (N3, 270, 000, 000.00k).
He also informed that the average time for resolving complaints with regards to vessel infractions has also considerably reduced from 7m to 10 days, and 1to 4 hours.
He said: “More than 85 percent of vessels that called at Nigerian Ports in 2021 left without any incident, which was not the case in time past, on the other hand as regards Compliance with Joint Cargo Examination by all government agencies involved in cargo clearance, the exercise has helped to increase the number of cargos examined per day from 125 to an average of 230 boxes daily per terminal.
“In summary, the implementation of the PSST manual has facilitated the ease of doing business in our ports and it has drastically reduced corruption tendencies.”
When asked to reveal the identity of those attacking NSC officials, Emmanuel Jime stated that, “I wish I can mention their names, but its entirety corruption fighting back.
“On the last attack, when I tried intervening, I found out to my chagrin that the more I get involved, the more I try not to get compromised. I was surprised that at the level of my intervention, I was almost getting into a compromised level. It’s like I was reporting someone to his benefactor.
“What I have decided is that we must fight this corruption at the ports. What we found out is that most of this other ranks (security officials) don’t just wake up in the morning to go and mount checkpoints. They have superior officers that they make returns to. That is why all the previous interventions done by previous administrations failed.
“This is the magnitude of the problem concerning corruption at the ports. We will fight it the best way we can.
“We will ensure people are held accountable for their actions and the work of the PSST will continue.”
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On other efforts of the NSC, Jime explained that, “on collaboration with Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) on the establishment and operation of Domestic Export Warehouses, a total of 12 Domestic Export Warehouses nationwide have been approved for commencement of operations.
“Some of the facilities granted approval to begin operations included” GEZEWA Commodity Exchange in Kano, MV EHILOMEL , Onne in Rivers State, ESSLIBRA in Ikorodu-Lagos State, Harris Logistics in Lokoja-Kogi State, Sealink Limited in Ajaokuta – Kogi State, Kaduna Inland Dry Port in Kaduna State, AMES-Edo Inland dry Port in Benin-Edo State,
“In the area of complaints’ handling and resolution, the Council in 2021 received and handled 518 complaints, while in first quarter of 2022, 100 complaints were received and handled. The Council in 2021 was able to recover the sum of N1, 072, 008, 040.90 (One billion seventy two million eight thousand and forty naira, ninety kobo) while in the first quarter of 2022, stakeholders were saved of the sum of N18, 493, 961.70.
“The Council is currently working on compilation and analysis of complaints handled in the second quarter of year 2022.
“In the area of sanctions, the NSC has signed an MoU with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to institute a consumer protection regime for the shipping and port industry.
“We have concluded arrangements for the inauguration of a joint committee that will drive the implementation of the MoU”, he added.
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