Shippers’ Council Converts 800 Importers

Determined to ensure that shippers comply with the extant rules, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council(NSC) has deepened  its  markets awareness campaign in major markets in Lagos.

This exercise, last week, yielded surprising result among over 1,300 members of the Agric- Coker Building, Plumbing Material Dealers Association (ACBPMDA), Oduade –Coker, Lagos.

Speaking with MMS Plus after the awareness campaign by the team of NSC officials, the new President of the group, Mr. Ebere Ifemeje, noted that until this visit by the Council they never knew that importers had a council that can protect their interest in business as they claimed, while pledging the support of his members in whatever capacity for mutual benefits.

Asked if they have not been encountering problems in cargo delivery process, Ifemeje said, “ our clearing agents claim they are our Lord in clearing and so we have been following them sheepishly  and pay whatever they demand. But with this awareness, we can channel our problem through the right quarters henceforth.”

According  to Chief Cajetan Agu, Deputy Director, Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement, who led the team of Council officials to the market, they was the need for the council to embark on shippers sensitization in view of the new status of the NSC as the port economic regulator and the importance of the re-introduced International Cargo Tracking Note(ICTN).

Agu who delivered his speech in Igbo language before over 1, 300 traders out of which 800 among them are importers, emphasized the need for them to adhere to import and export guidelines to always  avoid government’s wrath.

Agu stated that the campaign trail would continue in other major markets in Lagos, soon.