Access control system in Port and Terminal Multi-Purpose Limited (PTML) Terminal, for Security & Safety - Russo

Funso Olojo |

The access control system initiated by the management of Port and Terminal Multi-Purpose Limited(PTML) is meant to check the influx of touts and make the facility safer and secured for genuine users.

The Managing Director of Grimaldi Agency Nigeria, owners and operators of PTML, Ascanio Russo, made this disclosure in Lagos while reacting to the controversy surrounding the access control policy of the terminal.

Some section of the Freight Forwarders, under the auspices of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) have reportedly kicked against the policy, describing the N10,000 charged for the access control card as illegal and an act of extortion.

They however threatened to confront the PTML management in a show down if the policy is not reversed and the amount so far collected under the policy refunded.

Ascanio, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, was amused at the outburst, describing it as a mere distraction to the world class services which the terminal is noted for world wide.

‘’To me, it is insignificant (referring to the controversy) because the genuine clearing agents using our facility are not complaining’’, Ascanio declared.

Ascanio explained that, the rationale behind the system was not only supported and encouraged by the relevant government agencies, but in line with the international best practices of terminal operations.

He further declared that the controlled access into the terminal is the minimum obligation they have towards their customers to give them world class services in a safe and secured environment devoid of touting and other undesirable elements.

According to him, the terminal is operating in accordance with the ISPS code to which Nigeria is a signatory. It is for safety and secured operating environment, which the access control system is meant to engender, a crucial aspect of the code.

He said he was amused when people were saying the terminal has raked in hundreds of millions of naira through the access control card because N10,000 paid by a customer entitles him to 7 cards and each of the biometric cards costs N10,000 to produce.

He wondered how they could make money from the policy when they spent N70, 000 to produce the 7 cards they give out to each customer at the rate of N10, 000.

He stated that the management of the terminal was not out to make money out of the policy but impose the token amount to discourage touts and anybody who does not have business to transact gain access into the facility.

‘For us, it is a way to filter genuine applications because we don’t want just anybody to come and say they want to register.

‘’The registration process is very complex because when you come here, we just collect your customs license, we ask you to provide your address and the CAC registration, bank reference

‘’We also affirm these document; we go to the CAC office in Abuja to verify your claims and to find out if the company exists.

‘’We check each of the document you submit. We go to your bank to check if the bank details are genuine, we go to the address you provide to know if it exists.

‘’You can now imagine how complex the process is. We just want to make sure we are dealing with companies which exist and not fake ones. It is a very expensive process.

‘’Then we give you the card which is a biometric card. There is a chip inside where we have registered your finger prints and you use this card to access our facility which is ISPS Code compliant and you know we are all over the place.

‘’The ISPS Code is an international regulation on safety and access control which is also here in Nigeria

‘’We do not only control access to the port, we also know who is coming because we have track record of all the people who have interacted with us.

‘’At the touch of a button, I can tell you who is in our facility at a particular point in time because we have records of all our customers using our facility.

‘’This is very important in case of an emergency. It provides information to government on who is entering your facility.

‘’In addition, the access card also facilitates ease of doing business at the port. You can use it to transact business in our facility.

‘’If you want to go for release of your cargo in other terminals, usually, they will ask you for all sort of document such as ID card, your company registration, letter of authority and other document.

‘’But in our facility, the card can do all of these. You just bring your card which is biometric with your finger prints. We know it is for you and you cannot use other person own, so you use the card for all your transactions in our facility.

‘’We have been running this system for over five years and nobody is complaining. Genuine Customs agents appreciate that the card facilitates the ease of doing business at our terminal.

‘’Last year, the Vice President issued an Executive Order on the ease of doing business at the port and one of the points is that touts should not be allowed inside the port and we are complying with this order.

‘’With this access card, we can differentiate touts from the genuine agents. If you do not have form C30, you do not have business at the port, this is the bottom line and we have been complying on the ease of doing business order from the Vice President.

‘’No tout comes to our facility and we have been complying with the ISPC code which is internationally recognized and also practised in Nigeria and we have been offering solutions which facilitate doing business with us.

‘’So all the controversy surrounding the issuance of the access card, for me , is very insignificant, it is a distraction because those who are directly involved, genuine agents, are not complaining.

‘’We don’t want anybody to just come and dump fake document because it’s free and we waste our time trying to process fake document.

‘’So if you are a serious and genuine agent wishing to transact business with us, just pay the token N10,000 and enjoy our worlds class services.

‘’It is ridiculous what the people are saying that that we are making millions.

‘’How many agents renew their license each year?, 20 or 30, translating to N200,000, N300,000. What am I going to do with that kind of money? Such amount is nothing for a big organization like ours.

‘’The access card is a way to deter fake agents from entering our facility and dump fake document.

‘’The N 10,00 being charged is not even up to the cost of producing one smart card. One smart card itself is N10,000

‘’We have been running this system for over five years, so the NPA is aware .The Customs is aware. As a matter of fact, the Customs hierarchy in Abuja supports and encourages this because they do not want touts to invade the port.

‘’They want genuine agents to come to the port which the access card seeks to achieve.

‘’Customs is in support, all the relevant organs of government are in support so it is not an illegal system as some people may want the public to believe.

‘’Honestly, we have obligation to ensure that our facility is run according to the international best practices which is to control its access for safety reason.

‘’I can’t speak for other terminals but ours is very peculiar. Unlike other terminals, we manage our own gate while others have the NPA security personnel.

‘’I don’t know what other terminals are doing, but what we are doing is what we are supposed to do and it is in line with international best practices.

‘’Because of the controlled access, the authority has confidence that our facility is very secured.

‘’For any transaction in our facility, we have all the data of the agents involved in case such any of the transactions is subject to police or Customs investigation. We even provide the address of the agent who does the transaction.

‘’That is how secured our facility is.

‘’We cannot afford to do less because we are the largest RORO terminal in West Africa. We have the highest influx of people in the terminal because of this Tokunbo business; we can’t afford to give unrestricted access to all manner of people. We need to have this high standard.

‘’Customs was even happy for the arrangement because they are overwhelmed by the numbers of people coming for a single entry.

‘’However, as a law abiding corporate citizen, if the authority feels differently about the system and asks us to stop, of course, we shall obey.

‘’But for me, it is a common sense and everybody can appreciate how secured our terminal is. We are probably the most secured terminal in West Africa and we are proud of what we are doing’’, the PTML boss concluded.

Ascanio further explained that as a result of access policy of the terminal, the facility is rated as the most secured and efficiently run in the West Africa, adding that relevant government agencies have implicit confidence in the ability of the terminal.