Intervention from Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) of the Nigeria Port Process Manual (NPPM) has secured the released of another three consignments detained by Cosco Shipping Limited one year after , even as storage charges worth N1.9 million was equally paid by the carrier.
It was gathered that the shipper of the consignments had dispute with the shipping company since March 2020 during the pandemic .
The containers include two 40″ and one 20″ respectively.
Coordinator of NPPM, Mr. Moses Fadipe told newsmen over the weekend that the intervention by the officials of PSTT yielded positive results for the consignee to take delivery of his consignments after a long period.
According to him, the shipping company should have device a means to recover the debts owed initially by the consignee rather to place lien on the consignments for a longer period.
Fadipe noted that the engagement by the task team with the liner for the release of the consignments further resulted to fair treatment for all parties involved.
He stated that the importer was able to take the consignments out of the port on the 30th of June 2021 after the final resolution letter was delivered to the shipping line, which according to him made all parties responsible to the extent of their culpability.
The coordinator described the dispute between Cosco and the consignee as an impediment to cargo clearance processes, which NPPM frowned at.
Fadipe said “We found out that they acted arbitrarily being the stronger party in the transaction and this made them liable for all storage and demurrage charges during the period in question.
Worried about the longer period spent at the port terminal, he reiterated that no shipping agency operating in Nigeria has the right to convert to port terminals as storage facilities, noting that such practice will turn the terminal space to a warehousing facility, create congestion at the terminal yard, increase the cost of doing Business in our ports and ultimately increase the turnaround time for vessels due to space constraint.
Narrating how the consignee cargoes were trapped for so long, Fadipe who doubles as a Deputy Director, Special Duties , Nigerian Shippers’ Council disclosed that consignee laid the complaint on the 11th of September 2020 after a misunderstanding with the shipping line on last transaction which in turn led to the detention of the three boxes.
He said the consignee reported the case to the council in September 2020, because the NPPM was yet to come on stream .
Fadipe said after launch on the 9th of December 2020 and inauguration on the 3rd March 2021, NPPM went all out to secure the release of the three boxes.
He added that the task team took two months to resolve all the encumbrances affecting delay in the cargo clearance from the port because it involves more than one shipping agency.
By Roland Ekama
Caption:
Executive Secretary , Nigerian Shippers’Council, Mr. Emmanuel Jime
