…Importers lament loses
…Customs loses over N3b
Although the Nigerian Government, makes billions of Naira from the activities of its Lagos sea seaports daily, stakeholders are worried that not much attention is paid by it to maintain the infrastructure in and around it, particularly the road network.
The gridlock caused by the deplorable condition of the roads to and from and around the ports, is a common feature of the area with its attendant toll on haulage trucks, other motorists and commuters,.
Enormous man hours are lost to the traffic gridlock and this has severely affected business and port activities, resulting in loss of income.
Stakeholders have engaged the government a number of times in the past to address the perennial problem and have at various times used the strike option to get attention.
It is against this backdrop that clearing agents and truck drivers that provide services at the ports commenced another strike Monday, after the government failed through the Shippers Council to secure a truce.
Business activities at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) and the Tin-Can Island port in Lagos have been brought to a halt since the strike began as the agents and the truck drivers made good their threat to go on the strike over the deplorable state of the roads leading to the ports.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), it was learnt, has already lost over N3billion at the Lagos ports to the strike. Also, terminal operators, shipping companies and other government agencies at all the ports, would also lose billions should the strike extend beyond tomorrow.
The Nation newspaper was told by a senior Customs officer that Apapa and Tin-Can Customs generate, respectively, over N1 billion daily from the ports. He said this excludes what Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), NIMASA, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Shippers Council and other agencies make.
The leadership of the striking workers refused to call their members to order, despite the assurance given to them on Monday, by NPA Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman and the Executive Secretary Nigerian Shippers’Council, Mr Hassan Bello because of the fact at their disposal.
The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiola Shittu said the strike would not be called off until the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi visits the port.
ANALCA and importers, Shittu said, had few months ago, urged the Minister of Power,Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to come up with a master plan to address the intractable Apapa, Lagos, gridlock before they embarked on the strike.
