As Ports Economic Regulator, Integrity is Our Watchword, Says Bello
*Laments corruption makes Nigerian ports expensive
By Francis Ugwoke
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, has said that the Council as the ports economic regulator in the shipping industry has taken time to ensure that its integrity remains high in the performance of statutory obligations.
Bello also said that part of the problems of the ports was corruption in the system, adding that this makes cost of doing business expensive.
He disclosed that the management of the Council has over the years made credibility as the watchword of the Council being an umpire in the ports industry.
Speaking to Business Editors in Lagos recently, he explained that without credibility, the Council would not be in a position to achieve so much as the ports economic regulator.
He added that lack of credibility leads to compromise in enforcement of necessary regulation.
Bello said, “when we were appointed as ports economic regulator, one of the terminals said afterall, it is just another government agency. But we made a resolution that we will never compromise. We have to have integrity to enjoy that respect for us to regulate. A regulator who takes money from the people you are regulating is a joke. Because if you go out, they will say, what is he saying, because you have already compromised integrity.”
Bello whose Council was appointed the lead agency in the implementation of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual (NPPM) said the issue in Nigerian ports was corruption, explaining that this was what makes the ports expensive.
He added that apart from corruption Nigerian ports was not expensive as service providers have not increased tariff in the past 10 years in the ports.
Bello pointed out one of the examples of corruption in the ports as in the boarding of ships for inspection by security agencies.
According to him, some of the personnel of the agencies were in the habit of harassing captains to collect bribes from them, a development he condemned as bringing bad image to the country.
“Some will go and harass captains of ships to collect bribes. Why will anybody go and ask the captains for bribe”, he queried.
He also disclosed that it was in a bid to collect bribe that some of the agencies would prefer to board the ship separately instead of joint inspection.
“Why will agencies board the vessel at different time, it is because they don’t want to do that in the presence of everybody else, so that they can privately negotiate on how to be settled”, he said.
Bello disclosed that it was this that forced the Council to insist that boarding of ships for inspection should be done jointly at the same time.
Joint board, he explaind eliminates delay for the ships as such exercise could be completed within 30 minutes.
“Captains don’t want to come to Nigeria because of the delay. Ship’s turnaround time is a factor determining the efficiency of a port. For us in the NSC, we are determined to change things.”, he said.
Bello said there is also a lot of corruption involving cargo clearance, adding that some people were dubious on arrival of ships.
According to him, some service providers start counting the charges as soon as the ship arrives and not when the cargo is discharged.
On this, he said, the Council monitors the situation to ensure sanity and reduce the incidence of corruption.
He disclosed that with the complement of law enforcement which is going to be permanent, the ports economic regulator will be able to check the issues of illegality in the system.
He said the law enforcement arm was very important as it will help the Council to check the excesses of some service providers.
Bello disclosed that the Council is also involved in sting operation, adding that this has led to arrest of some people in Port Harcourt ports.
He also disclosed that the $20,000 bribe recovered from some security agents has been given back to the owner, a captain of one of the ships.
Bello also added that the Council as the ports economic regulator has been considerate with the service providers.
He explained that this was because the shipping companies and terminal operators have invested and need to make profit.
“We are considerate with the people we regulate because it is important the shipping companies, terminal operators make profit having made investments. We are for free business with the private investments as far as they are responsible. We want efficiency”.
By Francis Ugwoke
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, has said that the Council as the ports economic regulator in the shipping industry has taken time to ensure that its integrity remains high in the performance of statutory obligations.
Bello also said that part of the problems of the ports was corruption in the system, adding that this makes cost of doing business expensive.
He disclosed that the management of the Council has over the years made credibility as the watchword of the Council being an umpire in the ports industry.
Speaking to Business Editors in Lagos recently, he explained that without credibility, the Council would not be in a position to achieve so much as the ports economic regulator.
He added that lack of credibility leads to compromise in enforcement of necessary regulation.
Bello said, “when we were appointed as ports economic regulator, one of the terminals said afterall, it is just another government agency. But we made a resolution that we will never compromise. We have to have integrity to enjoy that respect for us to regulate. A regulator who takes money from the people you are regulating is a joke. Because if you go out, they will say, what is he saying, because you have already compromised integrity.”
Bello whose Council was appointed the lead agency in the implementation of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual (NPPM) said the issue in Nigerian ports was corruption, explaining that this was what makes the ports expensive.
He added that apart from corruption Nigerian ports was not expensive as service providers have not increased tariff in the past 10 years in the ports.
Bello pointed out one of the examples of corruption in the ports as in the boarding of ships for inspection by security agencies.
According to him, some of the personnel of the agencies were in the habit of harassing captains to collect bribes from them, a development he condemned as bringing bad image to the country.
“Some will go and harass captains of ships to collect bribes. Why will anybody go and ask the captains for bribe”, he queried.
He also disclosed that it was in a bid to collect bribe that some of the agencies would prefer to board the ship separately instead of joint inspection.
“Why will agencies board the vessel at different time, it is because they don’t want to do that in the presence of everybody else, so that they can privately negotiate on how to be settled”, he said.
Bello disclosed that it was this that forced the Council to insist that boarding of ships for inspection should be done jointly at the same time.
Joint board, he explaind eliminates delay for the ships as such exercise could be completed within 30 minutes.
“Captains don’t want to come to Nigeria because of the delay. Ship’s turnaround time is a factor determining the efficiency of a port. For us in the NSC, we are determined to change things.”, he said.
Bello said there is also a lot of corruption involving cargo clearance, adding that some people were dubious on arrival of ships.
According to him, some service providers start counting the charges as soon as the ship arrives and not when the cargo is discharged.
On this, he said, the Council monitors the situation to ensure sanity and reduce the incidence of corruption.
He disclosed that with the complement of law enforcement which is going to be permanent, the ports economic regulator will be able to check the issues of illegality in the system.
He said the law enforcement arm was very important as it will help the Council to check the excesses of some service providers.
Bello disclosed that the Council is also involved in sting operation, adding that this has led to arrest of some people in Port Harcourt ports.
He also disclosed that the $20,000 bribe recovered from some security agents has been given back to the owner, a captain of one of the ships.
Bello also added that the Council as the ports economic regulator has been considerate with the service providers.
He explained that this was because the shipping companies and terminal operators have invested and need to make profit.
“We are considerate with the people we regulate because it is important the shipping companies, terminal operators make profit having made investments. We are for free business with the private investments as far as they are responsible. We want efficiency”.
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