WHARF LANDING FEE: Lagos Accuses NPA Of Frustrating Digitalisation Collection

By Roland Ekama

 

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been accused of frustrating the digitalisation process of the controversial Wharf Landing Fees collection, authorities from the Lagos State Government have stated.

Recall that  stakeholders from the maritime sector have expressed worries over methodology behind the collection of the fee along the corridor, saying it has led to extortion and traffic jam within and around Apapa Local Government Area.

But responding on the move to harmonise and digitalise  the  collection process, Gboyega Salvador Adebayo,Chairman, Lagos State Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority in an exclusive chat on Thursday , maintained that management of the NPA has frustrated the collection process through digitalisation.

Adebayo noted that for about five years down the line, NPA refused to include the Lagos State Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority into its debit note adding that all efforts made proved abortive.

He alleged that personnel of the NPA was caught collecting the fees within the ports saying  pictures evidence are available to that effects.

The Chairman stated that:”The fact of the matter is that NPA is not straight forward. NPA refuses to cooperate with us ,though we are working on other areas to see how we can get them to cooperate.

“We have been requesting for the past five years that they should put us on the same debit note which simply include us to other payment online as other goods are arriving the country through the sea and this will eliminate the issues on ground. Our men can only be on ground to cross check their payment through a tag but NPA refused .

“Unfortunately we now caught one of their staff wearing our uniform claiming Wharf Landing and that means they are collecting our money inside the port and that is why they don’t want us inside .”

He affirmed that the Lagos Authority is gradually  discussing with the new management of NPA with the possibility of its inclusion to the debit note for online collection.

“Even the ones we are collecting now has so many leakages.”he noted.

He further argued that the Lagos State Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority was supposed to collect the fees directly from the seaports noting that most of the importers were adamant to pay the charges to the collectors.

According to him,  Wharf Landing Fee Collection is backed by federal law and that issues of extortion and  traffic impediment along the corridor  during collection does not arise at the points designated .

Though he lamented that the mode of collection needs some level of upgrading, Adebayo reiterated that the Authority is collecting the fees on behalf of the local governments in the state which was  aimed to ease business activities within the port city.

On his part, Oputeh Michael, Public Affairs Officer, Lagos State Wharf Landing Fee Collecting Authority debunked insinuation of the collection affecting gridlock along the corridor.

 

Oputeh affirmed that “The wharf landing authority did not contribute to any gridlock along the seaports corridor in Apapa as claimed by the ANLCA Chieftain.

 

He said :”The wharf landing fees Collecting Authority only have two collection’s points, that is Liverpool under the bridge and wharf road, if you check this two points there is always free flow of traffic on this port access road.

“Those extorting money from the port corridor are not our staff.

“I will categorically state that Lagos State government does not champion extortion of imported fairly used vehicles along the ports access roads, because the wharf landing fees was established by the Law of Lagos State House of Assembly and the approval given by federal joint tax board in 2009, during the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola,”he noted.

Attempt made by our correspondent to get response from the general manager , Corporate and Strategic  Communications,  NPA ,Mallam Ibrahim Nasiru hit brick wall as he declined to respond via text message.