Barr.Chinedu Ogbonna [Customs PRO PTML Chapter]
Barr.Chinedu Ogbonna [Customs PRO PTML Chapter]
As the saying goes, forward ever backward never, the command was able to surpass its target for last year and as I speak with you we are already working towards achieving success for 2012.In 2011, the command experienced peace with the special intervention from God. The maritime sector generally has its own share as the federal government has made provision for 24 hours cargo clearance from the port which I know will improve and develop the port operations. For 2012 all the relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry should come together for the development of the sector that is the shipping companies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, importers, the banks and others.
Comrade John Jonathan [Dockworker]
We thank God for the New Year as 2011 has its ups and downs, but there is still room to improve in the area of dockworkers in the nation’s seaports. We are the one’s working and we know what the problems are in terms of safety. My expectation for 2012 is that the government should look inwards to ensure that the life of the dockworkers is in safe hands .The port access road should take a new look this year because it is time for change. Government should consider the port access road; fix it so that the issue of traffic gridlock in Apapa community will be a thing of the past. I still believe that there will be tremendous changes this year, even with the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Engineer Iguda Ahmed Uzairu [Sailor]
My expectation for the maritime sector for 2012 is that government should acquire its own vessels that is, our own national carriers so that the graduating cadets from Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron in Akwa Ibom State and other private maritime institutions in the country will be able to get job as the foreign ship owners hardly employ our own seafarers. It is the duty of the government to provide jobs for them because they are the ones that established the academy, therefore there should be hope for the cadets that are graduating from there with maritime related jobs. Also the government should provide holding bay for the trucks surrounding the port access road, because it won’t be nice to experience what happened last year as a result of traffic gridlock.
Mr. Felix Agunna [Importer]
My expectation for 2012 for the maritime industry is that government should look into the area of the terminal operations and shipping companies and address their arbitrarily charges on importers and freight forwarders .I also want a situation whereby the issue of corruption in the industry is addressed because the problems we have encountered in the past has been as a result of corruption even though the number of government agencies at the port has been reduced. By and large, we expect a fruitful 2012, but I must add that the problem in the industry starts from the common port users and if we do not start from the grassroot, it will be difficult for those at the top to change also. And the port access road is a big problem to Nigerians; therefore urgent steps must be put in place to tackle the gridlock that we experienced in the year 2011.I pray for a better 2012 even with the removal of fuel subsidy.
Alhaji Akanni Balogun (Clearing Agent)
My expectation is for the maritime sector to buckle up and meet the demands of the economic change of the country; you know this is a turning point where everything seems to be economically going downwards, so the maritime sector needs to buckle up so that we can contribute our own quota. Nigeria is an import oriented economy and more than 90 percent of our factory equipment are being imported, hence you will see challenges in the maritime sector, if the sector fails it means the whole economy will collapse, all the stakeholders in the sector have to do the right thing this year if they really love this sector, the importer should realize the danger in trying to short pay his duty, they should pay the right tariff and nobody should try to cut corners, it will help the economy and Nigeria will be better for it.
Mr. Kayode Farinto (Chairman, TICT ANLCA)
The expectation of Nigerians for the industry in this year is very high, particularly we the freight forwarders, we want the government to come out with a clear cut policy for the maritime industry, it is high time we had representatives in policies, government should have a rethink on increasing duty on rice because it will encourage smuggling and the people that are going to suffer are the Nigerian Custom Service personnel, the local producers of rice should first of all be empowered, what is the need to increase duty when you have not met local demand? Also, the recommendations of the committee set up by the last minister of transport on port charges should be implemented, we commend the federal government on the committee to decongest the port, it will assist the terminal operators to have more spaces, but government should monitor these cargoes and prevent them from flying away, secondly we must discourage this idea of selling people’s cargoes all in the name of auction, who are the beneficiaries of these auctions? Government should look into this direction before Nigerians start asking questions.
Chief Taiye Oyeniyi (ANLCA Chieftain)
All Nigerians are hopeful that in this year things should get better, particularly in the maritime sector which is the second largest revenue generator for the federal government, we want the government to have more interest in the port, the Cabotage law should be working, we want harmonization of all stakeholders in the port, we hope and pray that everything will go smoothly in this year so that the 48hours cargo clearance target of the government will be achieved. We are also expecting NPA to ensure that there is easy passage of trailers in and out of the port, there should be a development plan and programme for the maritime sector, you will find out that since vehicles have been running this road since 1954 there is no expansion of the roads, the wharf landing fees that is being collected by the Lagos State Government ought to be used to develop the port, federal government alone cannot do everything. I commend the efforts of the governor for the work he is doing, but I want him to focus more on the maritime sector, we also hope the minister of transport will work more to salvage the deteriorating state of the port, concessionaires have done their best because the port is better now than before, but we still want the government to do something to make our port better.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (PTML, NAGAFF)
I expect that the shipping community, especially the terminal operators and the shipping companies to put the interest of the country first before their individual selfish interests and by so doing, all of us will benefit, they should make sure that shipping is done the way it should be done and billing is done the way it should be, customers are treated the way they should, how can you give your bill of laden to a shipping company and it will take one week before your get your container, why should you return your container and for you to get your container deposit, you have to wait for one month, why should a vessel come and after a month, you are still being told that your container cannot be located, we expect that all these problems that have so far characterized our shipping sector should not manifest in this year again.
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