Overtime Cargoes: NAGAFF flags off campaign to revive Ikorodu Terminal

ZION Olalekan

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has flagged off a campaign to revive the government warehouse at Ikorodu through prompt transfer of all overtime cargoes currently littering Lagos ports.

The association assured that it was carrying out the campaign in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service in order to help customs increase its revenue collection.

Speaking with our correspondent at the port yesterday, Ikorodu chapter chairman of NAGAFF, Mr Obinna Okafor noted that the Lagos ports are currently littered with overtime containers and customs is unable to collect the revenue that is accruable on them.

He noted that rather than for customs to collect government revenue on the overtime cargoes by moving them to Ikorodu terminal, shipping companies were the ones carting away billions through demurrage collection.

He argued that overtime cargo constitutionally belongs to government and controlled by the Nigerian Customs Service, not the shipping company or the terminal operators.

Okafor told our correspondent that in view of this, NAGAFF deemed it fit to commence the campaign with the support of the Nigerian Customs knowing that this would benefit the government in terms of international trade sustainability, revenue drive, port decongestion, maximization of the Nigeria Customs Ikorodu facilities.

NAGAFF Chairman appealed to the Nigeria customs service to ensure that all overtime containers which the consignees are ready to take delivery of, through their respective height forwarders be expressly transferred to Nigeria customs lkorodu warehouse.

He said “Customs are in charge of overtime cargo movement, they have the political backing to control anything called overtime cargo, since we have all these overtime cargoes congesting the port and making normal clearing difficult, the consignees cannot take the delivery of their cargoes considering the demurrage, the shipping companies are not ready to come down, I have been opportune trying to help some people to get demurrage waiver from these shipping companies but believe you me, they did not honour the request, the highest they can give you is ten percent.

“Consignments should be taken to government warehouse at Ikorodu to allow consignees who are ready to pay government duty take their delivery, then, any token they can pay to the shipping companies or NPA should also be paid. But because of the billions shipping companies are making, they don’t want to follow the due process”.

Okafor stressed that Customs are the owners of overtime cargoes, and as such, they do not need NPA approval because NPA has already concessioned the port.

He expressed confidence that the campaign would yield a positive result and facilitate transfer of overtime cargoes.

“The Ikorodu terminal would be well utilized, if you go there now, the Customs are just there siting down, nothing is happening”.

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