By Roland Ekama, Lagos
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have raised the alarm over the influx of expired importation of containers into the country by shipping lines , saying the environmental implications can be described as “hazardous” to human lives and properties if not curbed immediately.
The operators tasked the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA),to tackle the influx of such boxes in a bid to sanitise the ports , environment and Nigerian roads.
Experts believed that the life span of containers should not exceed maximum of fifteen years but negligence on the part of regulatory agencies have made the country a dumping ground for all manners of expired containers into the country.
Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that in every ten containers sighted along the highways seven have expired.
According to them , there is the need for the government to sanction shipping companies that export expired boxes in the country adding that stringent measures must be taken to curb the menace associated to hazardous items
Maritime lawyer, Barrister Emmanuel Nwagbara who raised for concern in a chat with our correspondent over the weekend , lamented that lack of effective and efficient monitoring and enforcement by the regulatory bodies led Nigeria into the mess.
The foremost maritime lawyer lamented that the deliberate attempt by shipping lines to flood the country with expired boxes , are clear indication that the items are no longer exportation to other maritime nations.
According to him , a good number of boxes imported into the country have expired hence the need for the regulation to commence clampdown on them.
He also called in the concerned regulatory agencies to established recycle centres where such boxes could be destroyed and reproduced.
Worried about ignorance displayed on the part of the agencies , the lawyer maintained that shipping companies are taking the advantage of lackluster attitude of government to endanger the lives and properties of people and environment.
The said the regulatory bodies are blind to understand the environmental implications toward ensuring safe and health free importation of containers into the country, adding that setting of recycling plants would help reduced the large number of such boxes.
“We have a lot of deficiency in the area of container monitoring in this country and there need for government to provide empty container yard the expired boxes are kept for recycling.
He lamented that gridlock along the corridors ,can be attributed to vehicles return of empties to the ports adding that shipping companies have allegedly frustrated the acquisition of holding bays.
” Beyond the issue of space to dump the containers;it appears the a there is a deliberate attempt by shipping companies not to allow the containers get back to the ports as at when due because some of this containers have expired.
“It Is the responsibility of SON to ensure that the life span of containers should not exceed maximum of fifteen years such that if there are containers that have expired but are still in use , then the shipping companies must be sanctioned.
” Therefore we are advocating that SON should look into this critical and sanction any shipping lines that bring in such contains into the country .
” I think there is another agency which is NESREA to ensure that containers are imported into the country meet some certain requirements.
“We are also recommending that from now , any container imported into the country must be certified fit for usage”.
Chairman, Tin Can Island Chapter, Association of Registered Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (AREFFN) , Comrade Jude Ige called on the government to sanction carrier importing such containers into the country.
Ige lamented some of the containers have gone under series of wielding thus dangerous to handle specialised commodities.
The AREFFN Chairman , maintained that Nigeria ports are haven of expired boxes due to negligence on the part of regulatory agencies , calling on them to involve expert with technical know how in tackling the menace.
