• Allege arbitrary charges
• Vow to picket shipping companies today
Freight Forwarders operating at the Apapa port in Lagos yesterday shut down all commercial operations at the APM Terminal in protest of alleged arbitrary charges and other unwholesome practices by the concessionaire.
The protest which was spearheaded by a joint task force of ANLCA, NAGAFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents and AREFFN, crippled activities at the terminal for the whole day, even as agents were not allowed to gain access to the terminal to transact any business.
Speaking with Shipping PositionDaily on the matter, the Vice Chairman of Apapa Chapter of ANLCA, Mr. Dom Onyeka said that the protest is coming after several attempts which had been made to resolve issues with the management of the terminal failed. Some of the allegations levelled against APMT were that the terminal lacked cargo handling equipment and qualified manpower, and that it usually charge freight forwarders for services not rendered, including demurrage on public holidays.
Other allegations were that there has been a lot of pilfering going on inside the terminal and that whenever containers are delivered to importers, they usually found out that some of the goods have been stolen whilst inside the terminal.
They however demanded that the Federal Government should revoke the license of APMT as a port concessionaire or to renegotiate it.
Speaking on the protest, the ANLCA Vice Chairman said that the action would go on for a whole week until changes are made by APMT.
He stated that: "We are protesting against the poor services being given to us by APMT, we found out that we pay for services that are not rendered, we pay for weekend services and public holidays but, we don't get it, we also pay for our containers to be dropped but they just drop a small portion of it, we are feeling cheated because we pay demurrage on containers not dropped for examination"
"When you want to load containers, their equipment are not active, they are either broken down or not available, at the end of the day you are paying demurrage for their inefficiency, they don't have equipment to load containers".
Onyeka assured that the protest will take a new dimension today because the Apapa freight forwarders will now be joined by their counterparts from Tin Can Island Chapter, Lillypond Chapter, as well as KLT Chapters. He said the protest also would be taken to shipping companies today.
On his part, a frontline
freight forwarder, Mr. Frank Aliakor said that the protest is directed at putting
an end to the alleged high handedness of APMT.
• Vow to picket shipping companies today
Freight Forwarders operating at the Apapa port in Lagos yesterday shut down all commercial operations at the APM Terminal in protest of alleged arbitrary charges and other unwholesome practices by the concessionaire.
The protest which was spearheaded by a joint task force of ANLCA, NAGAFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents and AREFFN, crippled activities at the terminal for the whole day, even as agents were not allowed to gain access to the terminal to transact any business.
Speaking with Shipping PositionDaily on the matter, the Vice Chairman of Apapa Chapter of ANLCA, Mr. Dom Onyeka said that the protest is coming after several attempts which had been made to resolve issues with the management of the terminal failed. Some of the allegations levelled against APMT were that the terminal lacked cargo handling equipment and qualified manpower, and that it usually charge freight forwarders for services not rendered, including demurrage on public holidays.
Other allegations were that there has been a lot of pilfering going on inside the terminal and that whenever containers are delivered to importers, they usually found out that some of the goods have been stolen whilst inside the terminal.
They however demanded that the Federal Government should revoke the license of APMT as a port concessionaire or to renegotiate it.
Speaking on the protest, the ANLCA Vice Chairman said that the action would go on for a whole week until changes are made by APMT.
He stated that: "We are protesting against the poor services being given to us by APMT, we found out that we pay for services that are not rendered, we pay for weekend services and public holidays but, we don't get it, we also pay for our containers to be dropped but they just drop a small portion of it, we are feeling cheated because we pay demurrage on containers not dropped for examination"
"When you want to load containers, their equipment are not active, they are either broken down or not available, at the end of the day you are paying demurrage for their inefficiency, they don't have equipment to load containers".
Onyeka assured that the protest will take a new dimension today because the Apapa freight forwarders will now be joined by their counterparts from Tin Can Island Chapter, Lillypond Chapter, as well as KLT Chapters. He said the protest also would be taken to shipping companies today.
On his part, a frontline
freight forwarder, Mr. Frank Aliakor said that the protest is directed at putting
an end to the alleged high handedness of APMT.
He added that,
"we want to let the government know what the shipping companies and
terminal operators are doing to us the freight forwarders"
"we want to let the government know what the shipping companies and
terminal operators are doing to us the freight forwarders"
"We discover that if we don't
address the issue now , no body will do it for us and now is the right time for
us to do it, we will sustain it, it last until they hear us"
address the issue now , no body will do it for us and now is the right time for
us to do it, we will sustain it, it last until they hear us"
"What
happens to one affects others, so we are also going to picket shipping
companies and other terminal operators as well, because they are the ones
handling some of what we want".
happens to one affects others, so we are also going to picket shipping
companies and other terminal operators as well, because they are the ones
handling some of what we want".
He
further called on APMT for waiver on all demurrage charges after peace may have
been made within all the concerned parties.
further called on APMT for waiver on all demurrage charges after peace may have
been made within all the concerned parties.
Also speaking, Task Force Coordinator of ANLCA at Apapa Port, Mr. Abidemi Aberejo, said that clearing agents are no longer interested in the services of APMT.
"We are holding everything to a standstill until they answer us, this may go on for months if they refuse to cooperate with us, by tomorrow will join the shipping companies to the protest and our colleagues are joining us tomorrow"
He alleged that some powerful Nigerians are behind the APMT and giving it support and that this was why it was acting with impunity. He alleged that the APMT is not capable of being a terminal operator.
"They are not ready to work, let them sell-off their license to those that are ready" he said. Protesting Freight Forwarders Shut Down APM Terminal At Apapa Port 1
"We are holding everything to a standstill until they answer us, this may go on for months if they refuse to cooperate with us, by tomorrow will join the shipping companies to the protest and our colleagues are joining us tomorrow"
He alleged that some powerful Nigerians are behind the APMT and giving it support and that this was why it was acting with impunity. He alleged that the APMT is not capable of being a terminal operator.
"They are not ready to work, let them sell-off their license to those that are ready" he said. Protesting Freight Forwarders Shut Down APM Terminal At Apapa Port 1
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