Shippers’ Council bans collection of union fees in ports

Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), which now regulates the ports, has banned use of the ports as collection centres for union fees. This is as the Council has patted itself on the back for a job well done.

Hassan Bello, executive secretary, frowned at turning the ports as revenue enforcement points instead of the unions doing so in their various secretariats, saying he was reacting to outcry of stakeholders against the new practice.

The executive secretary, who was represented by the deputy director, Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement, Cajetan Agu, in Port Harcourt, at a town hall meeting with stakeholders at the Eastern Ports, specifically promised to take up the issue of several checkpoints along Port Harcourt – Aba and Owerri – Onitsha highways, as well as the dormant nature of eastern ports with the Federal Government.

He said all the other issues raised by the stakeholders at the meeting would be dutifully followed up with the Ministry of Transportation, expressing hope that the new transportation minister would address them accordingly.

NSC said it performed creditably well despite all odds since the Federal Government appointed it Port Economic Regulators in 2014. The executive secretary said despite the fact that the appointment of the NSC came midway in 2014 after the ports had been concessioned in 2006, the Council still performed.

He pinpointed approving standard tariff for freight forwarders, developing standard operating procedures for operators at the ports, among others as some of  the achievements of the Council within the short period of its existence as economic port regulators. He expressed confidence that the Council will do more with the cooperation of other stakeholders in the maritime industry.

On the alleged monopoly of operations by some major operators at the ports, Bello said the current leadership of Nigerian Shippers Council was committed to ensuring a level playing ground for all stakeholders

During the interactive session by stakeholders at the event, most of them bared their minds on high tariff at the Eastern ports, which they said had forced importers to patronize Lagos ports. They also harped on the sharp practices of the Customs and other agencies at the ports and called for urgent attention by the NSC.

In a chat, the South South Zonal Coordinator of NSC, Philip Eduwa, described the town hall meeting as apt and expressed happiness that the aim of the forum has been achieved.

According to him, the essence of the event was to make NSC accessible to the operators at the Eastern ports as an economic port regulator and this has been realized.  “I am satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. I believe in quality and not quantity. We have noted the issues raised by the stakeholders and shall take them up as it affects the Eastern Ports.”