TROUBLE AT TIN CAN PORT:

Customs Blame Terminal For Port Congestion

The Tin Can Island Port Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has issued a one week ultimatum to the Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) to reverse its current policies on cargo clearance or else the terminal will be closed down by clearing agents.

Customs Blame Terminal For Port Congestion

The Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Custom Service has also blamed the terminal for the port congestion that is currently being experienced at the port, saying that the terminal lacked space and equipment to transport containers.

Even the freight forwarders had initially planned to picket the terminal yesterday, it however had a second thought by first issuing an ultimatum, giving the terminal a seven days opportunity to correct its wrong policies.

Speaking with Shipping Position Daily via telephone yesterday, Secretary of the ANLCA Tin Can Chapter, Mr. David Chucks Kanikwu said that the terminal is demanding that agent receive their terminal delivery order from shipping company before their cargoes can be positioned for examination.

He alleged that the terminal is trying to create a diversion from the instructions handed down to them recently by the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime Affairs, Mr. Leke Oyewole.

Shipping Position Daily recalls that Oyewole had directed the immediate stop to vessel allocation to TICT by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) until the terminal clears the over time cargoes within its terminal and provide more equipment.

Speaking, Mr. Kanikwu said that "They want us to go to shipping company and get Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) before they now accept our booking for examination, by then you would have paid their terminal charges, the time of getting the TDO and coming to book for examination will accrue demurrage for them and their cronies, the shipping agency"

"They are not giving us international best services because we end up paying for services not rendered, the cost of transaction at our port keeps increasing and people keep running to neighboring ports"

"We gave TICT seven days ultimatum, if they don't reverse what they have done we will shut down the terminal" he warned

Another member of the ANLCA Tin Can Chapter, Alhaji Akanni Balogun told our correspondent that the terminal merely trying to retaliate on the agents by making sure that whatever money lost to the absent of vessels at the terminal will recoup it from the freight forwarders.

Meanwhile, the Custom Area Controller of the Tin Can Customs, Mr. Zakari Jibrin has blamed the TICT for the congestion at the Tin Can Port.

Speaking at a press briefing at the command yesterday, the CAC said that "the problem of congestion at Tin Can Port is as a result of the problem between the TICT and Cotecna, TICT has a lot of cargo but there is no space, Cotecna are waiting to scan the containers meant for scanning but because of lack of transportation from TICT"

Jibrin said that this has hampered the Cotecna Destination Inspection from using its scanning machines effectively.

According to the custom boss, Cotecna have the capacity to scan 400 containers per day, but TICT can only bring 200 containers due to lack of transportation.

"they don't have transport trucks and this is the main reason"

Jibrin however assured that the lack of space the terminal is having now is being addressed and that he has directed the TICT to transfer the excess containers to their off- dock terminal or other ones that is not their own.