Shippers’ Council Orders Clearing Agents to Ignore “Police” at Seaports

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has ordered freight forwarders and clearing agents operating at the nation’s seaports to ignore unauthorized policemen that are involved in illegal interception of already cleared cargoes.

Recall that clearing agents have complained about interference from police in already cleared and released cargoes by the Nigeria Customs service.

This has however impeded trade facilitation and affected the federal government ease of doing business at the seaports.

But, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mr. Hassan Bello when the Maritime Police Command led by AIG Abdul Danwawu paid him a courtesy visit in Lagos on Tuesday reiterated the order of the acting Inspector General of Police barring other police formation except the maritime command from interfering in cargo clearance.

According to him, these illicit activities by the police were impeding clearing processes at the Nigerian seaports.

The NSC’s ES reminded the stakeholders of directive from the Inspector General of Police, IG Mohammed Adamu which reinforces the mandate of the Assistant Inspector General (Maritime) and the Commissioners of Police in charge of Western and Eastern authority as being the police formations with primary responsibility for police operations at all ports.

According to the executive secretary, “Other men and officers of the police have no business in the interception of cargoes at the ports,’’ he said.

He however expressed the Council’s readiness to embrace the order by the IG to address the unwholesome practices by police.

He maintained that the NSC’s mandate as Port Economic Regulator is to sanitize the ports, ensure that costs remain reasonable and Nigeria competes with other countries in terms of best practices.

In his address, AIG Abdul Danwawu assured stakeholders that the Maritime Police Command would always seek directives from NSC when it concerns stoppage of containers.

‘‘The Marine Police Command will cooperate with NSC to make the ports meet its aspirations’’, he added.

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