Member representing Yagba federal constituency in the House of Representatives has expressed displeasure over the way and manner shipping lines operate in Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Abejide stated that the Apapa gridlock was caused by MAERSK/APMT system hacking.
The Rep member decried activities at the port which he described as broad daylight robbery. He noted that shipping lines keep accumulating the problems at the detriment of so many businesses.
He bemoaned the the adverse effect of these activities on the nation’s economy as most importer cannot boast of profits in the last four and a half years due to the unscrupulous activities of these shipping lines
“I want to tell you that of there is a breakdown in entry and exit of laden trucks for just one minute the kind of gridlock that will arise will be unprecedented. But to say the system shut down for almost six weeks or more than, one can again imagine how chaotic it is now at Apapa. As a result of this more vessels arrived while the previously discharged containers could not be moved out due to the fact that MAERSK/APMT system break down, containers were piled up.
“We have many shipping lines operating in Nigeria, all these shipping companies bring in containers through importers who are being given a number of days ranging from 14-30days to clear and return the empty container to the terminal side or designated empty container bay within the perimeter of the port. These and many more havoc are being encountered every day by the importers and agents.
“One of the worst things been perpetrated is that they request importers to bring their empty containers to inaccessible location, making trucks line up with containers on them. More also the shipping lines have refused to do the right thing by locating their empty bay outside the port area.
“To say more, most of the activities at the port can be seen as a broad daylight robbery. Shipping line accused an importer of owing up to two hundred and forty million on empty containers. These shipping line pretend as if they don’t know the challenges being faced at the port, they keep accumulating the problems at the detriment of so many businesses, to improve their own self-gain.
“As a result of all their activities, importers are running at a very huge loss, where none of them can boast of profits in the last four and a half years due to the unscrupulous activities of these shipping lines, which has affected the economy greatly,” he said.
Abejide, however, proffered a lasting solution to all the problems being encountered. He said he has suggested before the House Standing Committee was constituted that the APMT/ TICT/WACT must automate their terminal delivery order (TDO) as these will be connected to their gate of entry and exit.
“These simply means once you have TDO to load, there is no need for human contact along the road or at the gate for such trucks to load. This will enable constant movement for trucks with valid tickets. Once the truck gets to the gate, the ticket will be placed at the entrance and it automatically opens for entry. Any truck without a valid ticket TDO have no reason to move to go close to the port area after discharging empty containers at shipping line empty container bay, which is 100kilometers away from the port.”
Hon. Leke Abejide appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to give more priority to road constructions, especially the roads within the port areas, which should be handed to tested and trusted companies with the mandate to deliver with two months to avoid the trauma that port users pass through while plying the road where the nation earns her second largest revenue.
