Hyacinth Chinweuba
Stakeholders in the shipping industry have observed poor implementation of federal government’s Ease of Doing Business at the nation’s ports.
Participants at the 2nd Annual Lecture under the theme “the Gains and Challenges of the Presidential Order on Ease of Doing Business in the Nigerian Maritime Sector One Year After” said the order has been a mirage in the ports.
Most of the participants blamed officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Police for embarking on measures that have derailed the order.
However, beyond the Customs were other issues, including the state of the roads and the attendant congestion created by shipping companies who are yet to provide holding bays for empty containers.
A representative of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is in the Presidential Environmental Business Enabling Council (PEBEC), Mr John Oboh while acknowledging some challenges on the Ease of Doing Business at the ports as raised by participants however said much has been achieved.
Oboh identified the 24 hour service at the ports in which importers can at least pay customs duties, joint physical examination of goods at the ports in which nobody has to chase any agency personnel as among the gains of the order.
He also said that PEBEC had intervened in some cases to fasten the pace of work on the road rehabilitation as well as redesign the pallestisation policy following inputs from stakeholders.
While acknowledging some challenges, he however appealed to stakeholders to be patient on the road reconstruction as it is most likely to be completed in the third quarter of the year as against the earlier June date promised.
According to him, the closure of Ijora bridge is coming at a better time considering the ongoing road reconstruction.
He disclosed that PEBEC had made intervention on the issue of road construction which attracted the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote to the site, adding that there has been an improvement on the pace of work since his visit.
He pointed out that the reduction of 14 agencies in the ports to 8 was also part of the gains of introducing Ease of Doing Business.
However, Oboh agreed that there were challenges in carrying out the Presidential Order on Ease of Doing Business, identifying some customs operatives and the Police as not helping matters.
He criticised the Customs for incessant interception of goods cleared at the ports, saying this was not the best.
According to him, there is no reason why operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) should be stopping containers on the way, particularly within few meters after the port gate for another round of checks.
Oboh who said he is a field person who monitors what goes on within the business environment alleged that some of the FOU officers collect N20,000 per truck after they had been cleared at the port.
On joint physical examination of goods at the ports, he pointed out that the problem has been with information that some customs officers do not come to the office in time.
For instance, he said that while examination is supposed to be around 12noon, the exercise does not start till between 1 and 2pm.
He also said there is no reason why the Police as part of the eight agencies at the ports should be stopping containers for examination.
Oboh said his office had intervened in some cases of molestation of importers who had cleared their goods at the ports by the Police.
He advised aggrieved stakeholders to always report cases of police harassment to PEBEC (www.pebec.report) for intervention.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on the occasion said it has not failed to ensure that the Ease of Doing Business at the ports were achieved.
A top official of the agency, Mrs Adora Nwonu, of the Consumers Affairs Department, who represented the Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, on the occasion said the ports economic regulator has always been active in enforcing the order where it has to do with shipping services delivery between consumers and providers of shipping services.
Nwonu said that following this, the Council has recovered millions of Naira from shipping companies in favour of aggrieved shippers who reported such cases to the Council.
Chairman of the occasion and former President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke who did not hide his dismay against some agencies whose activities have derailed the purpose of the Ease of Doing Business however said he was pleased with PEBEC.
Nweke said PEBEC was one of the good things that have happened to the efforts being made to achieve an effective trade facilitation in the country.
But he called for more monitoring of the effectiveness of the order among agencies by PEBEC officials.
Among the highpoint of the 2nd annual lecture was the conferment of awards to some stakeholders for their contributions in the shipping industry.
Participants at the event, including the President of Association Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Iju Tony Nwabunike, expressed disappointment over the failure of some agencies of government in the shipping sector who were not present at the event.
Nwabunike said it was important for the Nigeria Customs Service to have sent a representative to the summit considering the various allegations against its officials which affect ease of doing business at the ports.
The awardees were the President of Association Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Iju Tony Nwabunike, Ozo Ignatius Nweke, Director, Special Services, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), maritime lawyer, Mr Emeka Akabogu.
Others were another maritime lawyer, Barr Mrs Jean Chiazor Anishere, Mr Godwin Ibeji, Secretary, Joint Council of Seaport Truckers, Mr Uchechukwu Aniezechukwu, former Chairman of Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria (ASIMPIN), Mr Bolaji Sunmola, NASC National President, Mrs Ify Akerele, former DG, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Chief Ernest Elochkwu, former President of ANLCA and Mr. Ante Mkpandiok, former Acting Rector, MAN, Oron.