Shittu: Lack of Consultations with Stakeholders Led to Failure of E-Call-Up for Trucks at Ports
*Asks new NPA Acting MD to go back to drawing board
* Blames Hadiza for not listening to advice
By Francis Ugwoke
The electronic call-up system (ETO) introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) early this year for trucks operating in Lagos ports to address issues of lingering gridlock in Apapa failed because of lack of adequate consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Former President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu who said this pointed out political issues and other factors as responsible for the current state of the ETO in achieving desired results.
Speaking during the maiden roundtable of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers in Lagos, Shittu said the failure of the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman to listen to advice to go outside the box to seek consultations affected the electronic call –up system.
He pointed out that the NPA management did not take into consideration the fact that customs operations as well as tanker operations with all the tank farms around Apapa were contributing to the congestions in ports.
As a way out, Shittu called on the new Acting Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Koko to go back to the drawing board on the policy of Eto if the NPA wants to tackle the issue of gridlock at Apapa ports.
He was of the strong view that outer ports in Warri, Onne, Calabar and Port Harcourt can take so many ships as part of the efforts to reduce congestion in Lagos ports.
He also called for the deployment and regulation of the use of barges in transporting some of the containers out of Apapa ports to check congestion.
Shittu said, “Eto became a tool of political maneuvering within the maritime industry. Except if we’re not being sincere with ourselves, NPA sees itself as a body that heads the port and other agencies within the transport sector must bow to.
We contributed to Eto and with the opportunity I had with Hadiza, I advised her to do more of consultations with people, even with people that were not recommend to her, she should go outside the box and seek consultations.
“I recommended a monthly meeting of all Heads of agencies in the port headed by NPA, and a quarterly meeting of all stakeholders in the port and from there people will create ideas. Unfortunately it fizzled out. I know there are some top agencies of government that have made presentations to Hadiza about Eto but to her it’s like without this Eto she cannot be a successful woman and CEO in the industry and finally to Transportation.
“Hadiza may have reasons for not listening to advice but not listening to advice that may enhance her job is her fault.
But we all know the reasons we have congestion, nobody has factored the fact that Customs operations also adds to congestion and these are the facts Hadiza should have taken note of, including tanker operations. Those who go to the tank farms to load, some of them come all the way from the North East and spend one week stationery waiting to load..
“Eto was designed not intentionally not to succeed but was not packaged enough and there is no way the new acting MD will be able to do much if he doesn’t take Eto back to the drawing board. But if he chooses to fine-tune it, then it’ll remain the same. Let NPA adopt multi-modal form of Transportation. The barges were neglected because of lack of supervision and regulation. Why should NPA not want another organization like Nigerian Shippers Council to be economic regulator, even NPA needs to be regulated because they have charges that affect the cost of clearing. But you hear, how can you regulate me? Even Customs needs to be regulated eventhough they make money for government. There are some expenses that you need not pay. Debit Note sent to you that you don’t have opportunity of seeking redress, all those are things that should be regulated, but because nobody wants to be regulated.
“Eto needs to go back to the drawing board. There’s even need to device movement into the port according to need because of the closeness of the tank farms to port operations. They already said it in NNPC that tank farms can never be relocated. We have done some research, the cost of dismantling and putting up a tank farm is the same as building a brand new one. And in a country where nobody pays for the consequences of his actions, the people who did the approval for those tank farms are not prosecuted. The congestion at the port is less than 20 years but those who were given the approval to build tank farms close to where there are serious commercial activities have done this country disservice. Right now the port would have been expanding to the built-up areas – built –up in the sense that you bring down somebody’s building and you pay compensation. Many old buildings in Apapa would like to relocate when you pay them adequately – and you expand the ports. You cannot expand the ports because the ports are surrounded by the tank farms. So we need to think well.
“Another thing they can do is to take their goods to outer port. NPA needs to encourage people to patronise other ports. I can tell you other ports in the country are functioning. As I’m talking to you now we’re taking delivery of barges with my company in Warri port, the Warri port is functioning. We have 385 truck load of cargo on the berth in Calabar so if people say that the ports are not working then it’s because they’re not ready. NPA needs to diversify and make other ports attractive and ensure security too. The security we’re facing today for ships coming into our channel is not as much as 200 km outside our shores. Other government agencies need to make inputs also to make it work”.
The Eto was introduced early this year, but its objective is yet to be achieved as gridlock has continued in Apapa area.
* Blames Hadiza for not listening to advice
By Francis Ugwoke
The electronic call-up system (ETO) introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) early this year for trucks operating in Lagos ports to address issues of lingering gridlock in Apapa failed because of lack of adequate consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Former President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu who said this pointed out political issues and other factors as responsible for the current state of the ETO in achieving desired results.
Speaking during the maiden roundtable of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers in Lagos, Shittu said the failure of the suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Hadiza Bala Usman to listen to advice to go outside the box to seek consultations affected the electronic call –up system.
He pointed out that the NPA management did not take into consideration the fact that customs operations as well as tanker operations with all the tank farms around Apapa were contributing to the congestions in ports.
As a way out, Shittu called on the new Acting Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Koko to go back to the drawing board on the policy of Eto if the NPA wants to tackle the issue of gridlock at Apapa ports.
He was of the strong view that outer ports in Warri, Onne, Calabar and Port Harcourt can take so many ships as part of the efforts to reduce congestion in Lagos ports.
He also called for the deployment and regulation of the use of barges in transporting some of the containers out of Apapa ports to check congestion.
Shittu said, “Eto became a tool of political maneuvering within the maritime industry. Except if we’re not being sincere with ourselves, NPA sees itself as a body that heads the port and other agencies within the transport sector must bow to.
We contributed to Eto and with the opportunity I had with Hadiza, I advised her to do more of consultations with people, even with people that were not recommend to her, she should go outside the box and seek consultations.
“I recommended a monthly meeting of all Heads of agencies in the port headed by NPA, and a quarterly meeting of all stakeholders in the port and from there people will create ideas. Unfortunately it fizzled out. I know there are some top agencies of government that have made presentations to Hadiza about Eto but to her it’s like without this Eto she cannot be a successful woman and CEO in the industry and finally to Transportation.
“Hadiza may have reasons for not listening to advice but not listening to advice that may enhance her job is her fault.
But we all know the reasons we have congestion, nobody has factored the fact that Customs operations also adds to congestion and these are the facts Hadiza should have taken note of, including tanker operations. Those who go to the tank farms to load, some of them come all the way from the North East and spend one week stationery waiting to load..
“Eto was designed not intentionally not to succeed but was not packaged enough and there is no way the new acting MD will be able to do much if he doesn’t take Eto back to the drawing board. But if he chooses to fine-tune it, then it’ll remain the same. Let NPA adopt multi-modal form of Transportation. The barges were neglected because of lack of supervision and regulation. Why should NPA not want another organization like Nigerian Shippers Council to be economic regulator, even NPA needs to be regulated because they have charges that affect the cost of clearing. But you hear, how can you regulate me? Even Customs needs to be regulated eventhough they make money for government. There are some expenses that you need not pay. Debit Note sent to you that you don’t have opportunity of seeking redress, all those are things that should be regulated, but because nobody wants to be regulated.
“Eto needs to go back to the drawing board. There’s even need to device movement into the port according to need because of the closeness of the tank farms to port operations. They already said it in NNPC that tank farms can never be relocated. We have done some research, the cost of dismantling and putting up a tank farm is the same as building a brand new one. And in a country where nobody pays for the consequences of his actions, the people who did the approval for those tank farms are not prosecuted. The congestion at the port is less than 20 years but those who were given the approval to build tank farms close to where there are serious commercial activities have done this country disservice. Right now the port would have been expanding to the built-up areas – built –up in the sense that you bring down somebody’s building and you pay compensation. Many old buildings in Apapa would like to relocate when you pay them adequately – and you expand the ports. You cannot expand the ports because the ports are surrounded by the tank farms. So we need to think well.
“Another thing they can do is to take their goods to outer port. NPA needs to encourage people to patronise other ports. I can tell you other ports in the country are functioning. As I’m talking to you now we’re taking delivery of barges with my company in Warri port, the Warri port is functioning. We have 385 truck load of cargo on the berth in Calabar so if people say that the ports are not working then it’s because they’re not ready. NPA needs to diversify and make other ports attractive and ensure security too. The security we’re facing today for ships coming into our channel is not as much as 200 km outside our shores. Other government agencies need to make inputs also to make it work”.
The Eto was introduced early this year, but its objective is yet to be achieved as gridlock has continued in Apapa area.
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