The Nigerian Government has inaugurated a collaborative Task Team comprising of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Ministry of Transportation and others with the charge to address the lingering issues of overtime cargoes at the nations seaports and terminals while also proffering the best case situation on how these cargoes can be cleared.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation and Chairperson of the Committee, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, while inaugurating the members of the Task Team in Abuja harped on the importance of the task.
She said that the inability to clear overtime cargoes at the ports and terminals has affected the number of cargoes that can be handled due to the limitation of space.
Ajani observed that this has led to a drastic drop in the volume of cargoes coming into the country.
She added that the reduction in cargoes has ultimately affected Nigeria’s IGR.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the clearing of overtime cargoes should not be confined to the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, Lagos Port Complex, and TinCan Island Port Complex but all other ports and Terminals within the country.
Ajani read the “Terms of Reference” (ToR) and they include but not limited to:
• Confirm the inventory of submission by the Nigerian Ports Authority on the actual number of overtime cargo in the ports and other locations;
• Conduct a joint examination of all such cargo to determine contents suitable for use or consumption;
• Provide a list separating goods for disposal by public auction and those to be deposed by condemnation/destruction;
• Gazette all cargoes identified as overtime for disposal;
• Determine methodology for public auctioning at various port/locations;
• Determine the recoverability of part of Terminal Operator’s revenue arising from long occupation of economic spaces and transfer charges;
• Ensure that the process is in conformity with applicable customs practices and any other task that may arise in the cause of the assignment;
Responding on behalf of the team, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, of the Nigeria Customs Service, assured that the Task Team is a one stop shop that will certainly unravel the overtime cargoes challenge.
The Task Team is expected to summit its report within 8 weeks.
Emmanuel Ukoh
