Freight forwarders lament loss of N300m weekly to Presidential Task Team

Peter Olaniyi   |

Freight Forwarders operating at the nation’s seaport have urged the Federal Government to declare state of emergency at the nation’s seaport owing to the  various bottlenecks confronting them in the discharge of their services at the nation’s port.

Addressing journalists yesterday, the Vice President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto lamented the various hinderances inhibiting trade and the need for government to take decision before clearing agents take laws into their hands

Farinto lamented that freight Forwarders lose on weekly basis an average of N300 million to corrupt elements who have  turn port access road to a money making avenue for themselves.

Topping the lists for some of the reasons why the government needs as a matter of urgency to declare state of emergency includes the disbandment of the Presidential Task Team which he said has lost  the essence of establishing it ab initio

Farinto alleged that freight Forwarders lose about N300 million on a weekly basis to illegal collection by some members of the task team.

He informed that the illegal collection of money has now gotten to a point that could be described as the survival of the fittest before a truck can be allowed entrance to the port as a result of bribery and corruption predominantly present at the port.

According to him “It is high time Federal Government declared state of emergency in the Nigeria Maritime Industry vis a vis the fact that we are not getting it right.

 Before now, we all know we have challenges, but with what we have now I can say it’s high time Federal Government declared state of emergency because nothing is moving.

“Let me give you an example.

I have a consignment  four containers are awaiting TDO since last week Thursday today is Wednesday up till now we are yet to deliver the goods.

“Although everybody has contributed one thing or the other to the problem, but I think the bulk of  the problem lies with the government be that as it may, i will want the government to declare state of emergency at the ports and we should not wait for the youths to start taking laws into their hands, government needs to do a lot of things fast before it deteriorates to self help that may lead to a state of banana republic

“And among these issues of declaring state of emergency is disbanding the so called presidential Task team because they’ve lost the essence of which it was created ab initio.

” It has been turned to a money machine and stakeholders lose on the average of N300 million on a weekly basis to illegal collection by some members of the task force and it has gotten to a level where it is no longer the issue of bribery now but the survival of fittest .

” if you must survive now you must shun the queue and if you must shun the queue you must rub somebody hands, so we have a situation where someone who have been on the queue for two weeks is unable to access the port, we spend minimum of N280,000 per truck for our trucks to have access  into the port” he said.

The ANLCA vice president also lamented lack of electronic call up system, stating that the manual call up system its full of abnormalities that encourage corruption, while urging the government to set up an institution that will fizzle out corruption in the port