At Ikorodu Terminal, ANLCA Pledges Support for NPA in Retrieving Transfer Charges on Overtime Cargoes

…Says There is Enough Space to Accommodate Thousands of Containers

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Ikorodu Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has given assurances to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in ensuring that the agency retrieve back it’s money used in transferring overtime cargoes from the various port terminals down to Ikorodu government warehouse.

The association’s Acting Chairman, Chief Martins Ikechukwu has also given assurances that there is enough space at Ikorodu terminal which would accommodate thousands of overtime cargoes that are currently trapped at the various ports in Lagos.

In a chat with DAILY TREND on Monday, Chief Ikechukwu debunked newspaper reports insinuating that the Ikorodu terminal was choked up and this was why the ports were filled up with overtime cargoes.

According to him, the NPA stopped transferring containers to Ikorodu because the clearing agents were not paying transfer charges which naturally supposed to accrue back to NPA in order to take care of the cost of logistics.

Apparently, clearing agents or beneficiaries of the overtime cargoes are expected to pay a token of N250,000 on 40ft containers, and N180,000 for a 20ft container.
However many of them were cutting corners on these payments, a situation that caused NPA to halt overtime cargo transfer.

While reiterating the association support to the NPA, Chief Ikechukwu said “We would make sure that the NPA recovers all it’s revenue, we would stand by them. People were not paying transfer charges, they were only paying SAPID who is terminal operator.

“This a continuation of where our late Chairman stopped, we have met with the Executive Director at NPA, they have sent a message to the terminal manager at Ikorodu.

*There is enough space at Ikorodu to receive overtime containers. However when we met with the NPA, they said the agency was not generating money like it’s expected, they are the ones that transferred these containers, and they expect payment of token of amount like N250,000 for a 40foot, and N180,000 for a 20foot container, and yet the NPA complained that they didn’t get these money paid appropriately.

“On our side, there was no need to start arguing that we have been paying this money, probably it was not remitted.

“However, our hundred percent assurance to NPA is that, this is a new government and we would ensure that in every container that enters Ikorodu terminal, NPA would get their money.

“We are having only three agencies in charge of capturing jobs here, before anybody stamps their documents, as acting chairman, I would give a directive that everyone must present evidence of payment of transfer charges.
The agencies have accepted and we have written NPA. They are happy to start transferring cargo any moment from now” he concluded