31st August, 2012
Port users have bemoaned the current shipping charges at the gateways, vowing to seek legal redress against port concessionaires and shipping companies for collecting illegal charges that negate global best practice.
According to them, the Nigerian ports remained the port with the highest shipping charges in the world, hence the need to challenge service providers at a law court.
Maritime stakeholders who converged on Lagos at a one-day stakeholders legal clinic on shipping charges, rules, rights and remedies at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council recently said their legal action was overdue because of the persistent arbitrary charges.
Mr. Emeka Akabogu said the shipping charges at the gateways were unacceptable, because they are not in line with charges at neighbouring ports.
He blamed the Federal Government for arbitrary charges at the ports, saying it has not done enough to assist importers and exporters.
Akabogu said that the only option for users of services was to seek redress at the law court.
National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Olayiwola Shittu said that highly placed persons, at the Federal Ministry of Transport, have been colluding with some industry operators, to scuttle the actualisation of a commercial regulator for the maritime industry.
According to him, NSC had done well to raise importers’ confidence at the gateways, adding that the council is really qualified to be the commercial regulator.
He added that freight forwarders have persuaded government to see reasons why the empowering of Shippers Council or setting up of a commercial regulator was important to the sector, as a medium to a long term solution to the arbitrary charges by the shipping companies and terminal operators.
Shittu said he backed legal action against the terminal operators and shipping companies.
“I am of the firm belief that if freight forwarders synergise and collaborate to institute a class action against the shipping companies and terminal operators, a big relief will be achieved, which will be sustainable and long lasting.”
President, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition, Mr. Chukwu Osita Junior, said the only way the clinic could achieve its objective was to shut down the port by going on strike.
According to him, maritime stakeholders have persuaded the government on several occasions to intervene on the issue of arbitrary shipping charges at the ports.
Osita said that closing down the ports would make sense, because government would realise the importance of importers and exporters to the nation’s economy.