Nigerian Ports are congested with overtime cargoes - Presidential Task Team

By Dapo Olawuni |

The Presidential Task Team on Apapa Gridlock has said that Nigerian ports are congested with overtime cargoes and this was the main reason for the traffic gridlock experienced in Apapa port.

Executive Vice Chairman of the team, Comrade Kayode Opeifa stated this when he addressed the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Apapa on Thursday.

Opeifa noted that to a large extent, the team has achieved its assignment in Apapa, adding that what is required now is efficiency on the part of terminal operators, Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.

He urged terminal operators to ensure submission of Uncleared Cargo List (UCL) to the Customs for removal or on-the-spot auction. He lamented that so far, terminal operators have refused to dispose the overtime cargoes inside their facilities.

Opeifa also said terminal operators are currently taking containers more than they have capacity to handle.

He noted that since the instruction was passed to all terminal operators to provide the list of overtime cargoes inside their facilities, only PTML Terminal has complied with the directive.

According to Opeifa, “All terminal operators have been directed to give their overtime cargoes to the Customs, only PTML submitted and immediately the Customs published it for auction, they made a public announcement for the process”

“All overtime cargoes which is the interpretation of congestion should be resolved. The cargoes in the port should be sold. Customs should improve their efficiency”

“The problem is the fault of Customs and terminal operators, the Customs cannot act without terminal operators providing the data, it is when they have provided data and customs did not act that we can now hold Customs”

“But Customs can be held responsible because they are supposed to push the terminal operators to provide the data.
It pays the terminal operators that the cargoes remain in the port so that you can pay demurrage”

“What the port needs is efficiency with the terminal operators, AP Mollar can take 600 trucks but it is handling 1000, trucks, can it handle them? No, the remaining 400 has no business in the port, you cannot go beyond your capacity”

“Trucks are coming to the port because there is no transit parks, empty containers are supposed to go to the holding bays, but the holding bays are not working, they exist but it has all been loaded with empty containers”

He lamented that Nigeria should not be a dumping ground for empty containers.

Opeifa also took a swipe at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for failing to assist the Presidential Task Team with publication of traffic advisories, the routes and movement of trucks in and out of the ports.

“We need to publish it that trucks going to Tin Can Island Port do not come through Funso Williams, while trucks coming to Apapa port should stop coming through Tin Can Port. We have asked NPA to publish this information on our procedures and ways we work but for two months now, they have not published”

He insisted that the issues inside the port is not about congestion, but that it is about efficiency, he added that every area of the port should be made efficient.

Part of the issues that could make the port efficient according to him is implementation of the call up system, empty containers return policy should be put in place, there should be no preferential treatment for any terminal operator while the prospects for extortion should be removed.

On allegations of corruption levelled against police officers attached to the Presidential Task Team, Opeifa debunked the allegations, describing the allegations against the team as “corruption fighting back”

He pointedly accused the Chairman of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) Chief Remi Ogungbemi of being one of the cabal frustrating the efforts of the task team because of alleged racketeering and profiteering from the gridlock.

According to him, “Remi Ogungbemi does not have a single truck, he started fighting the committee because we cleared under the Lillypond Bridge, he said he is the one collecting money under the bridge, so he started fighting us” he said