Shippers Council Tackles Nigerian Police For Intercepting Already Cleared Cargoes At Port
By DAPO OLAWUNI
There are indications that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into between the Nigerian Shippers Council and the Nigerian Police has collapsed even as police officers are now intercepting already cleared containers after exiting the ports.
The maritime command of police do this by obtaining shipping manifests and writing terminal operators not to release cargoes based on intelligence and suspicions.
Recall that the Shippers Council and the Nigerian Police had in 2017 entered into an MoU that officers would no longer interfere in clearance of cargoes at the port.
The then Assistant Inspector General of Police, Pius Imue, had warned officers to desist from the act, even as he promised to create a team that will work with the Shippers Council and other government agencies in carrying out some of their statutory obligations at the ports.
Imue said the Police will set up a Special Desk to handle reports on maritime matters as requested by the Executive Secretary of the Council.
However, freight forwarders have recently inundated the Council on the fact that the police has resumed the act.
In an exclusive chat with DAILY TREND NEWS on Tuesday, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council confirmed that the police were no longer honoring the agreement.
Bello said he was presently in Abuja for a meeting with the Inspector General of Police on how to stop the menace which is already causing tension at the port.
Speaking, Bello said “The freight forwarders are right, this is why I am in Abuja trying to see the Inspector General of Police. A signal was sent to them to stop interfering in cargo, they have no business doing that, it is the general powers of the police to stop crime, and sometimes they would say that they suspect something in the cargo”
“Even if they suspect anything, the cargo has already been cleared by the Customs, so what the police needs to do is check with the customs”
“The Nigerian Shippers Council had trained the police for them to understand the importance of port operations”
“I was called today by the maritime police, they want to arrange for a meeting.
I would call for a meeting with the maritime stakeholders, we are on top of the issue and we hope to make it better” he said
Bello stressed that intercepting already cleared cargoes leads to double taxation and corruption, adding that the police has no business interfering with cargo clearance, and that if they have any suspicion, they should come to the Shippere Council.
At a joint press briefing of freight forwarders, Shippers and Traders in Lagos on Monday, former President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr Eugene Nweke lamented that Nigerian police officers from Zone 2 werw obtaining cargo manifest from shipping lines, blocking containers on the road and charging terminal operators not to release cargo.
“Haven interviewed fifty Shippers and freight forwarders, there was at no time that these interceptions led to the discovery of trade infractions, it all bores down to exploitation and extortion on the part of the Nigerian police at the essence of cargo”
“We would have audience with the IG to state our facts to him, believing that he not aware of what was going on”
“Section 157 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) has given the Nigerian Customs Officer the power of a police officer.
At no point has it been reported that a cargo due for the importer’s warehouse is stopped not to go, we want to meet with the IG”
“All information the police claimed to have had for stopping containers have never been confirmed, at the end of the day, the importer has to get another vehicle to evacuate the cargo to his warehouse”
Dr. Nweke said there must be inter-agency collaboration whereby the police can be carried along by the Customs to see whatever they want to see during joint cargo examinations.
