By Kenneth Jukpor
Two months after Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) sanctioned some shipping companies over the absence of holding bays, port operators lament more grievous fiscal challenges as a result of the burden as all shipping companies extort about N50,000 to drop empty containers in their facilities.
MMS Plus investigations revealed that most shipping companies devise dubious methods to ensure empty containers remain on trucks as part of efforts to frustrate the agents and drivers to give bribes.
Speaking with our correspondent on this issue, the Chairman of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) KLT Chapter, Engr. Emmanuel Umeadi lampooned the move by shipping companies to convert Nigeria into dumping grounds for empty containers.
He urged the Federal Government to mete out severe sanctions on erring shipping companies in the country as the previous sanctions by NPA haven’t yielded the desired changes in port business and in the port environment.
“The problem of holding bay or lack of it, on the part of shipping companies can be seen as deliberate effort to defraud Nigeria. The drivers you see along the roads are there because they can’t drop the empty containers. When they eventually get to the holding bay, they are asked to pay as much as N70,000 for 1x40ft containers and N40,000 for 1x20ft containers to drop them. This fiscal burden falls back on the masses because the importer has to pass the extra cost to somebody” he said.
Umeadi accused the shipping companies of stifling import and export business in the country as they dribbled truckers and freight forwarders by sending them from one holding bay to another.
“As far as I’m concerned, these shipping companies are sabotaging the efforts of the nation’s President Mohammadu Buhari to reposition the economy of Nigeria and they are also ridiculing the efforts of the Transport Minister, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi to improve the transport system in the country” he added.
Also speaking to our correspondent on the traffic chaos in Lagos, Mr. Paulinus Igwe a truck owner at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal said; “the problem is as a result of the delay in dropping empty containers. All the shipping companies have their cronies here and they would either say there is no space for the container to be dropped or inform you that empty containers aren’t dropped here but immediately you pay monies they would accept it. For 20ft containers at KLT, the operators collect N40,000 while they collect N70,000 for 40ft containers.
“If you don’t pay they wouldn’t drop the container; but that isn’t the only problem. It takes three to four days before you can drop the container even when you have agreed to pay the money. This is why you see these trucks parked on the road without moving, consequently, the drivers can’t have their bath or rest for weeks. The Federal Government has to do something”
Recall that NPA sanctioned some shipping companies over the lack of container holding bays or refusal to utilize such facilities in July.
Umeadi called for more severe punitive measures for defaulting shipping companies operating in the country, noting that the shipping companies are bullish because they believed if their licenses were seized the nation would be forced to pay demurrage whenever the issue was resolved.
The freight forwarding veteran also lamented that the armed forces deployed to bring orderliness have become illegal revenue-generating agents at their various posts.
“Whoever posted these armed forces personnel to the port access roads should scrutinize their operations. What these officers are doing isn’t what they were assigned to. Sometimes they connive with touts to extort monies from truckers. They take advantage of the gruesome queues and promise speedy passage to those who pay. Such incident happened with one of my drivers but I intervened and they ran away” he added.
Meanwhile, as a result of the perennial traffic gridlock on the Lagos port access roads, two truck drivers have been found dead in separate incidents while moving an empty container to Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) at Tin Can Second Gate.
