Ikorodu Stakeholders Meet Sapid Bonded Terminal, Declare Readiness to Receive Overtime Cargoes

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Stakeholders operating at the Ikorodu government warehouse have declared their support for the Nigeria Customs Service and their readiness to receive the overtime cargoes which is expected to be evacuated from Lagos ports anytime soon.

DAILY TREND had reported on Wednesday that a team of customs officers from Abuja led by Comptroller Abubakar, Sanusi, Comptroller in charge of Auction and Overtime Unit of Customs recently stormed Lagos with a mandate to examine all overtime cargoes within 2-weeks and send back a report to the customs headquarters for immediate action.

Speaking exclusively with DAILY TREND at the end of a meeting with management of Sapid Bonded Terminal, operators of the Ikorodu terminal on Tuesday 22nd November 2022, Acting Chairman of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Ikorodu, Chief Martins Ikechukwu said the operators are fully prepared to accommodate overtime cargoes emanating from the ports.

Chief Ikechukwu condemned the requests by some stakeholders that the overtime cargoes should be auctioned right inside the ports for lack of space at the Ikorodu terminal.

According to him, this would amount to jumping protocol because there is more than enough space at the Ikorodu terminal to receive more than 7,000 containers.

“We have met with the NPA sometimes ago, we have met with the ACG Zone ‘A’ of customs, and now we have met with Sapid Bonded Terminal. We discussed on their preparation for the containers that are expected to come into Ikorodu.

“I learnt that some people are urging customs to start auctioning the cargoes right inside the port.
Ikorodu is ready to receive overtime containers, the logistics is ready, Sapid Terminal is ready for their job, there is space in Ikorodu, this place has been designated as a government warehouse for overtime cargoes, they should not jump the protocol, there is code of operation for auctioning of cargoes which we work with.

“Even the ACG recently confirmed that there is space at Ikorodu and more space is being made available” he said

According to the ANLCA Acting Chairman, the General Manager Operations of Sapid Terminal, Mr Francis Itsede have also promised that the terminal is ready for work as soon the transfer commences.