OVERTIME CARGO: Stakeholders Want FG To Review Causes Of Abandonment Before Evacuation

The federal government has been urged to help some importers with genuine reasons to recover their consignments that are currently at the nation’s seaports ahead of the evacuation of overtime cargoes to bonded terminals.

Recall that the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation Dr. Magdalene Ajani, led  inter-agency team comprising of officials of NPA, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), on assessment tour of overtime cargoes in the ports, called for evacuation of such consignments.

Sequel to this development, stakeholders in the maritime industry have called on the Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC), the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), respectively, to work harmoniously to help some of the shippers who were unable to clear their consignments due to high cost of cargo clearance from the various port terminals.

A cross section of the stakeholders who spoke with DAILY FOCUS NIGERIA weekend, lamented that most of the consignments were not abandoned deliberately , rather the cargoes were left inside the affected terminals for numerous reasons aside high cost of clearing of goods.

With the auction process of the consignments in line with evacuation to off dock facilities , they further decried government flip flop policies as bane to abandonment of cargoes which in turn hampered the attempt of clearance .

According to them , auctioning of consignments without further consultation with the rightful owners can also lead to litigation and would further cause hardship for those with genuine intention of the cargoes abandonment at the seaports .

They noted that shippers who have their consignments trapped should first be considered if the government is bent on auctioning.

A truck owners, Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi, appealed to management of NPA and Customs consider the remote cause of the abandoned consignments before the next line of action adding that some importers must be considered .

According to him, ” It’s long over due, for the overtime cargoes to exit the ports at least the process will decongest the ports and give more space to receive other consignments.

“Actually is something to look about, what is the remote caused that makes the importers abandoned their cargoes at first and if there is need for the federal government to consider those with genuine reasons fine,it will be good before auctioning.

“Considering the fact that so many may abandoned the cargoes due to high tariff and accumulated demurrage,”he noted.

A freight forwarder, Comrade Victor Okanigbuan commended management of NPA for the evacuation of overtime cargoes from the seaports but called on government officials to be watchful and close monitoring of the process not to be  hijacked by the agency or body championing the process.

He said “Yes I support the evacuation of overtime cargo from the ports to a place outside the mother port in order to reduce congestion within the port .

“But my fear is that we can only hope the process is not hijacked  by those involved or in charge of auctioneering of the consignments.

He further advised that “Now, I will rather prefer the government through the customs and other relevant agencies  to rather share these items to be auctioned off to the less priviliged and mother less homes in the country because most of the rich and political class will buy most of the goods.

“Because like I said most of the ministers , directors , obas , emir’s, police officer, Army , immigration , Senate and house of representatives members they all get their share from the auction process . While the original owners of the consignments are left with no opportunity of getting back their goods , some times due to cases beyond them”, Okanigbuan explained.

Secretary General, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA), Alhaji Mukaila Babatunde who gave nod for cargo evacuation and auctioning, adding that” Yes, absolutely, provided the real owners has not shown commitment to enter into customs clearance procedure of duty payment.”