Real Reasons Why Clearing Agents Picketted 5-Star Logistics Terminal

…Terminal Bows to Pressure, Grants 50% Waiver

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Licensed Customs Agents under the aegis of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Wednesday had shutdown the 5-Star Logistics Terminal for alleged inefficiencies and extortions.

While presenting the agents demands before the General Manager of 5-Star Logistics Terminal, Mr Wolfgang Schneider at a meeting on Wednesday, Chairman of ANLCA at Tin Can Port, Alhaji Mohammed Mojeed said the agents have met severally with the management over their challenges but these were not addressed.

After crippling all commercial activities at the terminal for several hours on Wednesday, the terminal reportedly acceded to the demands of the agents and granted a 50% waiver on all vehicles from a vessel named; GLOVIS TELLA.

According to the agents, the vehicles were supposed to have been transferred to Classic Bonded Terminal at Tedi Village, Ojo Lagos more than a month ago, but were trapped inside 5-Star Logistics Terminal due to alleged inefficiencies and lack of space.

Speaking earlier at a meeting with management of the terminal, the ANLCA Chairman, Mohammed Mojeed stated that “We have met with the management severally over the issues of inefficiency of the terminal, the General Manager promised us that he has sent a letter to the headquarters office”

“We talked about obsolete equipment, poor security and other issues, but up till now they have not been addressed”

“Now we have another concern which is causing agitation among agents, there is issue of server failures, after clearing your vehicles you cannot get it out of the terminal”

Mojeed stated that a crowd of clearing agents whom were apparently frustrated by the situation had stormed the ANLCA Secretariat and chased out the executives, demanding solutions to their challenges.

He said “The people’s complaints is also about terminal rents being collected on vehicles.

“Secondly is the server issue, the MD said he has spoken with Customs on this, the terminal must show concerns, if not, it means they are collaborating with customs to extort us.

“Their intervention would save the terminal or else, any vehicle being released we would not pay any additional rent.

“This server failures has been an incesant occurrence, the moment their is a downpour, you cannot get anything done inside the terminal, and this does not stop 5-Star Logistics Terminal from collecting their rent. The terminal must give us some palliative.

“The influx of people into your terminal is too much, the last time we were here, we asked you to go and carryout visibility study of PTML Terminal and how they were able to manage their terminal in terms of security.

“Most of the time vehicles are discharged from your terminal, it must have been pilfered and vandalised.

The ANLCA Chairman also demanded that there are licenses that were blocked by the terminal for the last one month due to alleged illegalities at Clarion bonded terminal, he demanded that the licenses should be released.

Also speaking at the meeting, Alhaji Rilwan Amuni, ANLCA Tin Can Tasl Force Chairman raised concerns about unfriendly operational environment at Classic Bonded Terminal at Tedi Village in Ojo Lagos.

According to him, the roads leading out of the terminal is not conducive, adding that already cleared vehicles are being extorted by street urchins and local touts.

Amuni lamented that agents pay extra 7,000 to settle hoodlums after their vehicles exit the terminal.

He lamented that currently, the Classic Bonded Terminal is filled up and unable to accommodate more vehicles, and that vehicles on transire from 5-Star Logistics Terminal are trapped inside Tin Can Port.

“On the issue of this Classic 3 Terminal, apart from bad roads, we also have menace of Area Boys, NURTW, Baale and his town people , the police and the Local Government disturbing our members after taking delivery”

“The 5-Star Terminal should do something about it because, if they still disturb any of our member after delivery,we will resist any ship to be loaded with Vehicles or Containers to the terminal when we have subsequent shipment henceforth” he said

On his part, the General Manager of 5-Star Logistics Terminal, Mr Wolfgang Schneider said server failures is not caused by his terminal but by the Nigeria Customs Service.

“The Customs Area Controller has assured us that these challenges we are experiencing is as a result of transmission from the old system to the new customs automation, they are winding down all the old processes”

“We want it more than you to ensure that cargo leaves our terminal”

On the lack of equipment, he stated that the terminal last month purchased two new forklifts, and he had signed for two more to be delivered into the terminal latest next week.