The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) has accused the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) of neglecting their interest by allegedly conniving with shipping companies to exploit importers and their agents.
Chairman, Tin Can Island Port chapter of ANLCA Kayode Oyinlola who made the allegation while fielding questions from newsmen in Lagos on Monday said that even with the existence of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council whose mandate is to protect the interest of shippers, alleged arbitrary charges by shipping companies have continued to go on unchecked.
“The situation is the same, nothing is normalized. In fact some of the shipping companies are getting worse every day, in terms of charging money for services not rendered, in terms of extorting agents; they are getting worse every day,” he said.
He blamed the Council for the increase charges slammed on importers noting that despite several complaints of these arbitrary charges from the shipping companies, nothing has been done.
According to him, the Association may now consider writing both the Transport Minister and the Special Adviser to the President on Maritime Affairs for possible solutions on the challenges faced at shipping companies.
“We have taken the case to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and yet nothing is done, we are even looking at it as if shippers council is conniving with them. Now that they have failed us, maybe we will now go beyond them to write to the Minister of Transport and the Special Adviser to the President on Maritime,” he said.
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