10 YEARS AFTER PORT CONCESSION: Wharf Rats Return To Lagos Ports

• Importers/clearing agents groan as car vandals descend on vehicles at terminals About 10 years into the much-celebrated port concession in Nigeria, there are strong confirmations that one of the key achievements of the reforms is already being weakened. Although, the masterminds of port concession achieved a crowd-free and miscreants-free ports, reports indicate that vandalisation of imported used vehicles have returned to the ports, especially at terminals where such vehicles are handled. Although there were attempts to assert that thieves, popularly called wharf rats in that inglorious pre-port concession era, are no longer in the ports, investigations by our correspondents revealed otherwise. At least three importers whose identities are being withheld, but whose vehicles were vandalised at Tin Can port have narrated their experiences to Shipping Position Daily. At different times, they told our correspondents how their vehicles that were vandalised at the terminals had to be towed outside because they had been badly demobilised. One of them told us that his Toyota Venza which came with a key-less device was vandalised and he had to tow the vehicle out of the terminal, after which he replaced the device at the cost of about N75,000. Another importer alleged that his Highlander SUV was stripped of all the interior accessories. According to him, the vehicle was also rendered immobile, as even the Battery was removed. Yet another alleged that his Lexus 350 SUV was stripped of all its accessories at one of the terminals at Tin Can port. Reliable sources however hinted our correspondent last week that most of the vehicles might have been vandalized at the port of a neighbouring country where the ships were berthed and discharged before the cars were shipped to Nigerian seaports. But, speaking with Shipping Position Daily on the development last week, a clearing agent at PTML Terminal Alhaji Ajisafe Ademola said that most of the time, the dockworkers handling the vehicles are mostly responsible for the act. He also alleged that the evil is usually perpetuated with the collaboration of some spare part sellers who usually hang around the port to buy some of the vehicle parts that have been stolen at cheap prices. “The terminal operators are mostly held responsible for the vandalization; although they have their own personal securities that sometimes monitor the stevedores to prevent the act” “Because of the Nigerian economy, nobody is trust worthy, anything can happen, since not many vehicles are coming into the country, they believe that they might not get other jobs tomorrow” “Spare parts sellers even hang around the ports encouraging the vandals and expecting them, they are aiding and abetting” he said When he was contacted, General Manager of PTML Terminal, a frontline RoRo terminal at Tin Can Port, Mr. Tunde Keshinro denied the allegations. Keshinro advised our correspondent to collect the bill of laden of such vehicles and their chassis number to substantiate the allegations. According to him, “The handling procedure of vehicles at PTML does not leave room for any vehicle to be vandalized, because from the discharge point, there are CCTV cameras monitoring the workforce, both the stevedoring workers, PTML staff handling the vehicle from the ship down to the car park. Outsiders are not allowed to access vehicles except during examination together with security personnel, customs and the agents” “We make provision for security to ensure that vehicles are received in fairly good conditions, the way the vehicle landed is how we deliver it to the owners without any pilferage or vandalization. He who alleges must substantiate, let them provide us with evidence or else it is just a rumour and an allegation” he said. Also speaking with our correspondent, Head of Complaint Unit at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr. Fadipe Moses an Assistant Director said that there has not been any report of vehicle vandalism brought to the Council. “I have not received any report of vandalization in recent times, the agents might want to say this probably one of the clients of one of their executives was affected, tell them to come forward and complain and document it with us, if you don’t document a complain, how do you substantiate the authenticity” He however acknowledged that: “In the past, there were such reports, but in recent past, there is nothing of such complaints on my table”. But, a clearing agent , Sunday Okafor, who specialised in clearing of used vehicles from both Port and Cargo as well as PTML terminal confirmed to our correspondent last Friday, that cars cleared at both terminals are 100 percent safe, adding that there has not been any case in recent time. He maintained that ‘’it has been a very long time that I have heard about car vandals at the ports, mostly, PTML’’ ‘’Even as we speak, it is difficult for any form of vandal on cars to take place at the terminal because the terminal has all necessary facilities in place to monitor such’’ When contacted for further information, Head Corporate Affairs Sifax Group, Mr. Muyiwa Akande promised to furnish our correspondent with relevant information, but he was yet to do that as at press time.