Massive congestion is looming at the ports in Lagos because consignees and their agents are not taking delivery of their cargos, the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria has said.
STOAN said that while it was good that the seaports would be working to support government’s efforts at curtailing the spread of the coronavirus disease, there was a need to allow full movement of cargos across the country to ensure their operations were not hampered.
STOAN said, “All terminals in Lagos are between 90 per cent and 95 per cent full. Most of the cargos are non-essential.
“If a cargo doesn’t flow within days, there will be no space in the terminals to discharge other cargos. And some of the cargos waiting to be discharged include food and medicine.
“There is a need, therefore, to appeal to importers to pick up their cargos and not return empties for next two weeks in order to allow the prioritisation of imports coming in.
“If consignees do not remove their cargos in the next couple of days, the ports will become fully congested and it will be near impossible to discharge incoming vessels.”
Akinola said that the multiplicity of government agencies at the ports and at the ports’ exit gates at both Tin Can Island and Apapa ports was compounding the “painfully slow delivery of cargos.”
He added, “These government agencies are working at odds with the Federal Government’s policy on the ease of doing business.
“There are too many government agencies involved in the cargo release process, and after the cargo is released in the terminal, these government agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service conduct another round of checks at the port gate.
“The situation has resulted in long truck queues inside the ports because the rate at which trucks exit the main port gate is extremely slow due to these multiple checks.”
Meanwhile, The Nigerian Ports Auhtority has announced that it has no intention of shutting the seaports in view of the coronavirus spread.
The agency said in a statement signed by its General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication, Mr Adams Jatto, that it was acting under the directive the of president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
It added that arrangements had been made for operations at the ports to continue without hindrance.
