“When the hunted has truly learnt to hunt his hunters, then the hunting game is over” Chinua Achebe
This wise saying by Chinua Achebe illustrates the fate of maritime stakeholders and the ills in the industry where the perpetrators of illicit acts still believe they are on top of the game.
There seems to be some sort of hide and seek game in the acclamation by shipping companies that they have functioning holding bays. Ascertaining the veracity or otherwise of this issue has been a great challenge for industry observers who often get lost at a state of aporea whenever the argument ensues.
While the freight forwarders and other stakeholders have consistently accused shipping companies and terminal operators of not having holding bays to keep their empty containers, the shipping companies on the other hand often respond that their holding bays do exist. Who is telling lies among these factions?
Recall that the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman during a stakeholders meeting in February, 2018 ordered all shipping companies to make public their holding bays addresses on at least two newspapers after which the NPA management would inspect them with a seven days ultimatum. Several months have passed and no shipping company was recorded to have complied.
In fact, the Commander of NNS Beecroft, Commodore Okon Eyo during the ports stakeholders meeting in Lagos recently, displayed a letter written by NPA in 2012 on the same issue to shipping companies but all to no avail.
The absence of holding bays by shipping companies which has left so many trucks on the roads has been identified the major cause of the Apapa gridlock but each time there seem to be a serious disposition to putting the problem to a final rest, it suddenly resurrects while the status quo is maintained without any question raised by the concerned authorities.
It is understandable as alleged over the years by industry bigwigs that there is political undertone to the Apapa gridlock. In fact, Commodore Eyo asserted, “Whenever roads are free for easy movement in and out of the ports, their businesses are destroyed”
The affected port users, who often pay huge demurrage as a result of this challenge, are tired but it appears that their cries are in futility. The cabals behind this problem appear to be bigger than the regulatory institutions.
Although NPA’s Executive Director, Marine Operations, Dr. Sekonte Davies acknowledged that the shipping companies weren’t compliant to NPA’s directive on holding bays; he still could not make any categorical statement on the issues at the stakeholders meeting the penultimate week.
Dramatically, in response to various allegations against shipping companies not having holding bays at the stakeholders’ meeting, a lady joyfully stood incognito, and spoke on behalf of Maersk line shipping company, claiming that they have holding bay. Taking over the microphone from her, another man who also spoke in the same manner without revealing his identity and even that of his company said his company has holding bay.
MMS Plus quickly approached them to determine their identities and confirm their claims with a view to getting to the root of the matter but was surprised to see them decline at different intervals. While the lady from Maerskline initially told MMS Plus that she was speaking for herself not on behalf of the company and later declined being quoted on the issue, the other man refused to interact with MMS Plus reporter even as he refused to reveal his identity and that of his company as well.
Some questions arise: why are these shipping companies always fond of concealing their identities? Are they not sure of what they are saying? Does it mean that they are playing pranks?
MMS Plus observed that freight forwarders confidently mention their names while faulting the acclamations of the shipping companies but the shipping companies often do not have such courage to refute the allegations by freight forwarders.
Enough of this hide and seek game. NPA should be courageous to do the needful to ensure that our ports develop. Holding bays should not be operated in secrecy, so the acclamation on the issue of the shipping companies is questionable.
Little wonder there was obvious murmur among stakeholders at the recent NPA conference, about the perceived ceremonial nature of NPA stakeholders meetings which always lacked corresponding action and implementation.
