Terminal operators are sabotaging port reforms
– Ekwunife Kene, Managing Director, Komadin International
By FRANCA UDO-INYANG
Thursday, April 3, 2008

The recently concluded port reform has thrown up the issue of high charges at the ports. Many of the operators are blaming the shipping companies while others finger the terminal operators.

Yet others see the absence of a regulator for the maritime industry as the cause of the problem. But Mr Ekwunife Kene, a licensed Customs agent and the managing director of Komadin International Limited put the problem squarely on the shoulders of the terminal operators and the shipping companies. He spoke to Daily Sun on the issue.

Causes of delays and high port charges
Yes, I’m aggrieved over some of the issues that I have seen raised in the papers recently. For instance, the Maersk Line Managing Director was speaking two days ago regarding activities in the port especially his company’s relationship with Customs agents.

These are some of the issues I felt I should come to the press and make my own point known to the public. Some of these issues concern the charges in the port and also container refundable deposits. I am a Customs Licensed Agent and sometimes if you want to know what is happening in the port, it is necessary you get in touch with one or two clearing agents. Maersk Line Managing Director was asked why agents don’t clear their goods within 48 hours as ordered by the Federal Government, he said that the reason was that some agents use their terminal as warehouse, and that they deliberately abandon their containers at the terminal maybe because they believe the charges there are cheaper than paying for a warehouse.

I’m saying that all the claims of the man are lies. We don’t have problems with the Customs. I had a problem with Maersk Line recently. I had some goods that arrived with the ship, Northern Delight. The vessel came to Nigeria and berthed on February 1, 2008. I sent my men to get a Debit Note the following day but Maersk Line said it is not going to give us until after the discharge of those containers. So on February 4th, we went there and got the goods release officially, we then applied for terminal charges and they said they were not going to give us pending when the containers were transferred to the final port of delivery, that is Kirikiri Phase Two.

Eventually, the containers were brought in on February 19, I’ve all the documents, that was three weeks after the arrival of the ship. When we went back for the terminal charges, they gave us an additional demurrage of N120, 000, added to the one they raised before. When I wanted to complain some people advised me to pay first and maybe thereafter I would write for a refund. I took delivery of the goods and applied for a refund, submitted it but there was no responds. I heard the MD of Maersk Line saying that within two hours one would get his container refund. I wrote the letter of refund on the March 11, I sent somebody on 26 of March to pick the cheque and was told it was not ready and that we should check back next week Friday.

This is exactly what we witness everyday in the port. The man is confusing Nigerians and as far as I’m concerned, we don’t have problems with the Customs, the issue of 24 hours clearance could be obtainable if shipping companies and Nigerian Ports Authority could help us. Sometimes your goods will arrive and the shipping companies will insist on sending your goods to a Bonded Terminal and it will take two or three weeks for them to move the container from Apapa to the place where the final delivery will take place.

While you are waiting, the demurrage will be counted against you, so whom are they trying to deceive? The man said people don’t want to come and collect their cheques. That he has over N400, 000, 000 cheques lying unclaimed. I wrote for my own in March, which I’ve shown you, today is 27th and the cheque is not ready yet. So what’s he saying, when I read it in the paper, I said enough is enough and decided to come and put my own views across to the public so that people will known that some of the concessionaires are cheating Nigerians.

Terminal operators and port reforms
Take for instance, the issue of scanning that the Federal Government has been hammering since, the only place they have scanning machine is in Apapa and Tin Can Ports. Yes, a lot of containers are being transferred to Kirikiri Lighter Terminal where there is no scanning machine, physical examination is still being carried out there. If your goods are being located to Phase Two, you will face physical examination and it is very good to do the scanning in order to cut down the time limit for clearing of goods.

Your advise to Federal Government on the 48 hours clearance deadline
We have a union ANLCA, but the problem is that it is a case of everybody on his own. Some of these problems we are facing they know about it, the Apapa Chapter chairman once told me that anytime I apply for my container refund and that if it stays for two days that I should bring the letter to him that he will use the taskforce to collect it. I’ve tried that but it failed. What they are doing is that the union members will go for their own. Everybody is on his own because some of these shipping companies are giving them what they want.

They don’t care about others and that is why somebody like me does not subscribe to their request because I believe they are not working for the interest of the group. If we have a strong union that can tackle some of these problems, I tell you we won’t have problems. How can it take a shipping company about two weeks to transfer a container to the final delivery point and at the same time the rates are being increased. When you complain nobody has ever come to our rescue.

If the federal government wants the 48 hours goods clearance to be realistic, it should make sure that all the Bonded Terminals are equipped with scanning machines. As far as there are still physical examination in some of the ports, the 48 hours goods clearance will not be realized. With Customs you can get that. We don’t have problems with Customs in terms of speedy clearance of goods at the port. Where we have problems is with some of the shipping companies and some of the Terminal operators.