The Nigerian Shippers’ Council(NSC)has been admonished not to embark on building a Secretariat for Shippers’ Association of Lagos State with the alleged verified non-shippers from the refunded illegally collected storage charges and shipping lines agency commission(SLAC) from shipping firms and terminal operators in Nigeria.
In a signed statement sent to MMS PLUS, the factional President of Shippers Association of Lagos State, Barr. Leonard Ogamba, said, ” The idea of building office Secretariat for Shippers’ Association of Lagos State is a ploy by those who are not parties to the contract to embezzle Nigerian Shippers money”.
He recalled that “The judgement of the court clearly states that the money being refunded is for the interest of Nigerian Shippers. The pertinent question in this circumstance is who are the Nigerian Shippers and what are their interests?”
He argued that the Nigerian Shipper’s interest can only be known by firstly summoning a meeting of shippers for the purpose of carrying out verification of those who paid the money being refunded, and to ascertain whether the acclaimed shippers are members of any shippers association or not.
Ogamba said that during the proposed meeting what to use the money for will be decided, while noting that ” the circumstance where those who did not pay the money are now proposing shippers Secretariat calls for caution by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council board.”
“The Nigerian Shipper that will benefit from the money is that importer that paid the money being refunded pursuant to privity of contract on the ground that the money being refunded is contract proceeds”, he added.
Recall that in 2006, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council made newspaper publications inviting Nigerians who paid the illegal shipping lines agency commission and storage charges to come forward with bill of ladings but only “My very self of LeoChuks Nigeria Limited and Alhaji Nofiu of Harlinks Nigeria Limited provided proof from Shippers Association of Lagos State.
” I challenge the purported president, Odolo Nicodemus; former president Jonathan Nicol and the trustees of Shippers Association of Lagos State, who are parading themselves as legitimate shippers to provide proof.” Ogamba said.
He reminded the leadership of NSC on the urgency to schedule a meeting to discuss matters of importance and the sensitization programme for Cargo Defense Fund(CDF) as earlier agreed.
