By: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has re-assured stakeholders that efforts are been made to resolve all conflicts in the industry to usher in sustainable growth in the nation’s Port sector.
This assurance was made Mr Hassan Bello, the Executive Secretary of the council in Calabar at a Town Hall Meeting with stakeholders drawn from three catchment states.
The stakeholders were drawn from Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers and River States.
According to him, the meeting was part of the council’s strategy to assess the impact of market forces on shipping services and delivery during the period under review.
Bello said that inputs from the meeting would go a long way in strengthening the council’s efforts towards taking appropriate measures to create what he termed a “New Port Order characterised by efficiency and competitiveness”.
Represented by Mr Ignatius Nweke, Deputy Director, Public Relations in the council, he said the council was established to regulate tariffs, charges, dues, rates and service quality and efficiency adding that “the meeting was expected to promote, facilitate discussions, port service and serve as score-card for council’s performance at addressing stakeholders’ concerns in ports operations and governance”.
Participants also expressed concerns that if the Federal Government eventually banned the importation of vehicles over land by January 2017, would all the imports stop at Lagos ports?
Stakeholders at the occasion included the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Inland waterways, the national drug law Enforcement agency, NIMASA, Ecomarine Terminal and Zonal coordinators of the council.
Members of Akwa Ibom and Cross River Trade Groups, Freight Forwarders Association as well as Cross River and Akwa Ibom Chambers of Commerce, Industry, mines and agriculture also attended the one-day forum.
