Shippers Association of Lagos State ( SALS ) has called on the Federal Government to mandate the government agencies earlier expelled from the ports in 2012 who have returned to the ports to leave the ports immediately.
In a press release issued in Lagos Tuesday by the the President of SALS, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Nicol, the association expressed its surprised to see the unauthorized return of the agencies which includes; the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Agriculture and Quarantine Service (NAQS) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to the ports arguing that this would amount to nine government agencies conducting inspection of a particular cargo thereby delaying the turn around time for cargo.
The association maintained that the Standard Operating Procedure designed by the Port Economic Regulator, the Nigerian Shippers Council ( NSC ) aimed at curtailing the excesses and movement of people at the port had been discountenanced by the government itself by the influx of these agencies back to the ports.
While stating that the shippers were in for a very hard time, SALS however maintained that the action was deliberate as some of the federal ministries were finding it difficult to survive, thus the reason for the return adding that the shippers can no longer tolerate what it termed an onslaught against them.
SALS therefore appealed to the Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA ) and Nigerian Shippers Council ( NSC ) to take appropriate actions as it was becoming very unbearable for its member.
It reads,” We are surprised to see the illegal entry of SON, Quarantine and NAFDAC into the Ports again, this will amount to nine Government Agencies conducting inspection of cargo . What are they looking for?
“Standard Operating Procedure designed by the Port Economic Regulator which is the Nigerian Shippers Council ( NSC ) to curtail excesses and movement of people in the Port has been discountenanced by the Government herself.
“Shippers are in for a very hard time. We are sure this action is deliberate. Some of the Federal Ministries are finding it difficult to survive. They think the Port is a money spinner. Shippers Association can no longer tolerate this onslaught “.
“We are appealing to Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA ) and Nigerian Shippers Council ( NSC ) to please take appropriate actions. It is very unbearable, it is high time we start allowing the Shippers a breathing space, the cost of doing business in Nigeria is on the increase and corruption will be endemic.
“We have observed that some government agencies are against the Shippers, some Shipping Companies, Terminal Operators are also against the Nigerian Shippers, etc. What else can the shippers do? We certainly can’t cope with this onslaught. The future will tell”.
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