SIFAX Group Launches Whistle Blowing Policy To Checkmate Extortion, As AREFFN Protests Delay Of Cargo Transfer

Apparently determined to address complaints from freight agents and shippers on issues bothering on extortion , management of SIFAX Group has introduced what it described as “Whistleblower Policy” aimed to checkmate operational activities of staff.

 

 

The Head of Corporate Communications, SIFAX Group, Mr. Muyiwa Akande who disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos during a chat with newsmen,  declared that  management had  recently constituted a kind of whistle blower policy that has resulted in the dismissal of some staff, saying the conglomerate is a customer oriented based organization.

 

 

 

Akande while reacting on the protest embarked on by members of Association of Registered Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (AREEFN) , Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Chapter, over alleged delays on the clearance of consignments from Ports and Cargo Handling Services, Tin Can Island Port to the KLT facility, noted that the mechanism has commenced since December 2020 .

 

According to him , “Some staff of the company have been sacked due to sharp practices  at the terminal through the whistle blowing mechanism.”

 

He noted that SIFAX Group would always address issues faced by customers adding that within the next two weeks, all compliants by the freight agents must have been addressed.

 

 

The spokesman said that  management has called in the protesters and had a useful discussion with them and has also constituted a four man committee who went to the terminals to meet with those on ground,  in order to resolve all the grievances raised.

 

 

He also assured the freight agents that  all their containers will be  transferred out of the port to the off dock terminal.

 

 

 

 

 

He said that the freight forwarders are  customers of the organization , therefore  management can never do anything to hurt  clients .

 

On the issue of delay, Akande clarified that demurrage payment is legitimate, but added  that ” If there are cases of force majeure, as in cases of road construction which cause delay in movement, the customer is considered and not made to pay demurrage over the period of the delay.

 

 

The aggrieved members of AREFFN KLT Chapter , had earlier protested what they term the undue delays in cargo clearance, illegal transfers of cargoes from one terminal to the other .

 

They said the unlawful imposition of fees by the management of the Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited a subsidiary of The SIFAX Group had led to hardship for shippers and freight forwarders.

 

The protest took place in front of the  SIFAX Group’s Corporate Head Office.

 

 

The  Secretary of the branch ,  Stephen Chukwuka accused  management of the Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited of internationally electing not to do their duty of effectively facilitating the speedy transfer of Containers from their terminal because of selfish reasons.

 

 

He said that  management of the concessionaire deliberately delay cargo clearance in other for cargoes to incur demurrage of N13,000  per container a day.

 

The Chapter scribe also accused the management of moving their containers from one terminal to the other and making them to pay the costs.

 

He went further also to accuse the management of extorting from them the sum of forty thousand naira for every container that leaves the P&CHSL terminal as he advised that they put an immediate stop to these sharp practices.

 

By Roland Ekama