The management of Denca Bonded Terminal has debunked rumours that the off-dock facility has been shutdown by a group of freight forwarders.
Denca Bonded Terminal revealed this in a press release signed by its Corporate Affairs Manager, Oby Nweke.
“Our attention has been drawn to an erroneous claim in some online news platforms by a group of self-styled rag-tag freight forwarders that they shutdown our off-dock facility, Denca Bonded Terminal in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, on account of some spurious reasons advanced.”
”We would not have bothered with dignifying their high-spirited mischief and blackmail aimed at de-marketing our facility but for the need to put out the correct information and let our customers know that we are open for services, and now better prepared and reinvigorated for value added services in compliance with government’s regulatory guidelines and best business practice,” the report said.
According to the company, it was unprofessional for any group of freight forwarders to assume regulatory status, with its legal consequences and illegal usurpation of the role of the legitimate ports economic regulator.
“For the records, the leadership of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) had engaged our management on their intention to begin the collection of some unapproved levies from our customers in the guise of compliance enforcement, but the moves were declined. The management of the terminal while declining their highly illegal request, informed NAGAFF that their association does not have any right, power or authority to enforce the so called compliance in any form, as they are not a government regulatory agency and is not known, recognized under any Nigerian law.”
“Suddenly, they resorted to blackmail by assembling some touts in the name of a self-styled 100% Compliance team, who came to our terminal bearing placards with riotous inscriptions seeking to gain entry into the terminal in bid to start extorting money from Shippers and Agents, but they were resisted at the gate. They were informed that it’s only those that have legitimate business that are allowed unfettered access into the terminal. They went back and resorted to smear campaign. So, at no point was the terminal shut, not even for one minute”, the press release stated.
The company assured that it doesn’t have cases of complaints arising from loss of cargoes or damage of any kind, adding that it would only accept collection of authorized government levies in our terminal in order not to increase the cost of doing business in the nation’s port industry.
