Group Tasks SON To Curb Influx Of Expired Containers From Ports Of Origin

In a bid to regulate the influx of expired containers into the nation’s seaports, maritime group, All Port Unified Freight Forwarding Practitioners Association has called on the Standard Organization of Nigeria(SON) to critically  engage shipping companies from their respective ports of loading.

Stakeholders have clamoured for government to monitor and sanction erring shipping lines transporting expired containers into the country.

Recall that the expired containers pose serious danger to global trade , even as the SON and NESREA had been advised to put in place measures to curb influx of expired boxes.

Speaking on the development recently, President of the association, Igwe Mike Okorie noted that government can win the war against expired containers influx only if SON could ensure strict compliance from the point of loading exported items to Nigerian seaports.

The group President stated that government enforce strict monitoring and  compliance on shipping lines from where the consignments are being exported to Nigeria ports , pointing out Nigerian shippers are businessmen who do not understand the danger of expired containers.

Okorie also frowned at the indiscriminate parking of  containers on the highways across the country, saying its am eyesore to the international community.

He called on the government to empower SON in cutting down the high volume of such boxes into the country.

Okorie argued that the indiscriminate and uncontrolled parking of containers have negative impact to the environment and society, hence government needs to tackle the menace before it could lead to another form of disaster.

“Importers don’t understand anything about if a container has expired or not but what he is after his the consignment.

However, the SON should look beyond the shores of Nigeria and take the fight to countries of the world whereby this goods are exported to Nigeria.