Story by Dili Utomi.
The Port Manager, Tin Can Island Port, Mr. Sylvester Othuke Egede, has said that Freight Forwarding practice has been hijacked by truckers and movers who constitute 80 percent of the gridlock problems along port access roads.
Egede made the submission while addressing a delegation from the Special Fact Finding Committee of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) who made a courtesy visit to the Port Manager to find a way forward on the issues of traffic gridlock which has become a cause for concern to stakeholders in the maritime industry.
The NAGAFF delegation which was led by Dr. Arthur Igwilo had in their company, Mr. Ifeanyi Emoh, and Alhaji Mustapha Aboki amongst others. Igwilo, who is also the Chairman of the Fact Finding Committee, noted that among the many challenges faced by truckers as documented during the Town Hall Meeting of port stakeholders are Eto booking extortion from personnel of the Trucks Transit Parks, security agencies and other non state actors.
On his part, Mr. Ifeanyi Emoh, recommended that the Port Manager assists the freight forwarding body in removing empty containers off Port roads by speaking with Shippers’ Council to mandate Shipping Companies to provide holding bays for empty containers as a proliferation of empty containers results in double demurrage payment to terminal operators and Shipping lines which is a recurring burden being borne by the consignee and ultimately the Nigerian masses.
Emoh also stated that the inefficiency of the Eto Call-Up server which reportedly suffered a downtime last December caused huge loses for freight forwarders should be addressed and a lasting solution reached.
The Port Manager while responding insisted that the Eto Call-Up system was a breakthrough in the maritime logistics chain explaining that the cause of the gridlock is sponsored by truckers who deliberately boycott the system by going against the existing truck transportation rules to get into the ports.
He added that the Eto Call-Up system is a transparent system which can be accessed electronically without human interference but “movers” take advantage of the impatience of freight forwarder to exploit them .
“The Eto system is the best that have happened. These truckers are the ones that are complaining that Eto is causing trouble for them. These trucks don’t have identity. How can a truck have up to seven or eight numbers? 80 per cent of the problems you see on these roads are caused by the truckers. They are the problems.
“It is not the movement of empties into the port that is the problem. If they are ready to go to their holding bays, the terminals are ready to receive them but they wouldn’t go until they see a Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) from you. So they stay on the road looking for TDO so that once they come into the port, they can pick imports.
“You spoke about the holding bays for shipping companies. We have a policy that for all vessels that comes into the port. When they are sailing, they must go with a percentage of empty containers. In fact, I want to send a letter to all shipping companies to adhere to that policy.
“Since I resumed, I have held a meeting with them and I have told them that if they adhere to the policy, they will not be keeping empties. In fact, they don’t even have a space for that. Shipping companies have contractors that take off these empties to the ports. It is the movement that is a challenge for them and they are part of the problems.”
On his part, the Port Traffic manager, Mr. Akin Leoso, giving a synopsis of the problem noted that while “movers” pose as truckers, they own no real trucks and account for a major exploitation chain in the maritime logistics business which must be addressed by freight forwarders and stopped.
“One need to understand the basics of a system. There is no iota of truth in that statement that the Eto system had a server downtime in December. The truth is this. Majority of those who go about saying they are truckers are not. They don’t own a truck. Some of them just hang around. We call them movers.
“The rule is that a trucker must go to their satelite park and from there when you have business to do in the port, you go for your Eto ticket which directs you to a pregate so that when the terminal says you can come, they can now leave the pregate to the port but what do you have? They side step all those procedures and encourage trucks to come straight to the port gate.
“So, they always tell you, my truck is at the gate. Where you are supposed to pay N10, they say bring N50 and you pay them. When they discovered that we caught them selling Call Up, they would tell you that TTP is selling Call Up. No. It is those movers. Normally you are to pay like N10,000 for call up electronically, not cash in a wallet but they will say bring N150,000.”
The TCIP PM shared that while his office is willing to assist freight forwarders attend to any challenge they may face, freight forwarder must first confront and revise the tide of truckers dictating the pace of maritime logistics business as a matter of urgency.
“How did it come that truckers are the people who dictate to you the freight forwarder? That is what we are seeing right now, they dictate to you. You must take the fight back to them not us. We don’t have a problem. Take the fight back to them and if you can reverse the role, go and reverse it. They have taken it off you. Go and reverse the role. I’ve given that job to you,” the PM said.
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