As the controversy over t the success or otherwise of the picketing action embarked upon by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tincan Island Ports Chapter on Monday against the Tincan Island Container Terminal (TICT) rages on, the association has come out with the reasons behind its action against the terminal.
It will be recalled that ANLCA had early on Monday morning embarked on the picketing of the TICT by shutting down the terminal denying staff and customers alike of the terminal exit and entry into the terminal but had to suspend the action on the intervention of the Port Manager, the Commissioner of Police, Western Ports Authority Police Command and the Customs Area Controller of Tincan Area Command.
Giving reasons for their action, the Secretary of ANLCA, Tincan Island Chapter, Evang. David Kanikwu recalled that between 2013and now, the Federal Government of Nigeria declared about 25 public holidays on which days the management of TICT went ahead to charge their members demurrage describing it as uncalled for.
According to him,” My brother let me tell you, every operator in Tincan island Ports knows the antecedent of TICT. There is nobody that comes to the port that is a carpenter, we interface with TICT on a daily basis”.
“The greatest affront was the letter they (TICT) brought, you know Friday was the inauguration of the new dispensation where everybody was supposed not to work on that day, TICT claimed they are working and still billed our people. It was an affront and unlawful”.
On the allegation by the other freight associations that the public was not duly notified about the action before ANLCA decided to carry out their action, Kanikwu disclosed that the action was not overnight saying that they had been writing the management of the terminal and that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council which happened to be the Ports economic Regulator, the Commissioner of Police, the Department of Security Services and others could bear them witness as they had the copies of the said letter.
“The last one was we gave them ultimatum that if they do not return all the monies collected for services not rendered, that we have no option than to picket them. Along the line, the Chairman of NAGAFF (National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders), everything, as the Secretary, I liaise with Kalu (NAGAFF’s Secretary) giving him some of the letter we are writing and told him that our fear is that at our last end, their high command might compromised and that is the fear”.
“But I tell you, at the end of the day, they claimed they don’t know about it. Normally, we don’t normally join hands with the members of NAGAFF. We don’t need to join together at this stage when we know they are repeating what they did at Apapa with APMT, somebody from their high command compromised and broke the ranks. So, we don’t want that”, he explained.
The ANLCA scribe informed that when NAGAFF said that it was dissociating itself from the action saying that it was not notified about it, the action still went on and was successful as they got a reply from the Presidency on the issues they pressed for.
He continued, “Now that the action was through, they said that if there is any negotiation with the TICT that we should carry them along, then I told him and I said to the Chairman of NAGAFF, how do you feel when you dissociated yourself and you want to be carried along. Is it possible?”
Earlier, the Chairman of NAGAFF, Tincan Island Ports Chapter, Mr. Azubuike Ekweozor had told our correspondent that his association was never part of the action as according to him,” we are still welcoming the new President (Buhari) and we make sure the President did not have any problem at hand because the ones left by the last administration, he is still trying to put them together to know how to go about them”.
“We never planned any strike action, we only asked our members to go about their normal businesses. Whatever must have informed anybody to go on strike; they supposed to be talking to you on why they wanted to go on strike. But we said that our members should continue with their lawful and legitimate jobs and not to be intimidated by anybody”, he added.
