Contrary to media reports that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has suspended the operations of the MSC shipping line for lack of holding bay, the management of the shipping line has said that its operations were not suspended by the NPA.
It will be recalled that the Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, last Friday told this medium and other media outlets that the MSC shipping and one other were sanctioned for not having any hold in bay.
But in a release in Lagos Tuesday, the Logistics Manager of MSC, Kehinde Iyawun disclosed that the shipping line had two holding bays situated at SIFAX off dock terminal, Okota with the capacity of 2,500 TEUs each totaling 5,000 and another one at the Advanced International Merchants Limited (AIML), KM 8, from Redeemed Camp Gate, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Sagamu with capacity of of 5,000 TEUs.
The statement therefore implored the general public, importers and freight forwarders to return their empty containers to any of the two addresses mentioned above even as he urged the media to thoroughly investigate the authenticity or otherwise of their reports before going public.
The statement reads,” We received with utmost shock that the Nigerian Ports Authority has suspended our operation due to lack of holding bay. Permit me to state that our operations were not suspended by the authority because MSC have more than one holding bay. There definitely a mix up.
“MSC holding bays are situated as stated below; we have two holding bays at Sifax off dock terminal, Okota which has capacity of 2,500 each, 5,000 capacity.
“We also have another holding bay at Sagamu at Advanced International Merchants Limited (AIML), kilometer 8, from Redeemed Camp Gate, Sagamu, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which also has a capacity of 5,000 TEUs. We implore the general public, importers and freight forwarders to return our empties to any of the stated addresses above.
“We also urge the press to always do the needful by investigating properly the authenticity or otherwise of any news”.
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