NAGAFF Founder lambasts Country Manager of APM terminals
*Says his statement on freight forwarders misleading, unguided
By Silas Onuoha :
Dr Aniebonam :
The Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Boniface Aniebonam, has
condemned in strong terms the statement made by the newly-appointed Country Manager of APM terminals, Mr Klaus Laursen, about freight forwarders not clearing containers from the terminals in time.
Dr Aniebonam described the statement as misleading and unguided, especially coming from a concessionaire who has not met with critical stakeholders in the industry.
He made his position known in a meeting with maritime reporters, at NAGAFF headquarters in Apapa, Lagos.
Dr Aniebonam who expressed displeasure on the statement said, “I think Mr Laursen is only in Nigeria to make money. From his statement, it is quite obvious that he is not really interested in trade facilitation and the development of Nigerian port industry. He is only interested in making money. That is the way I look at it.”
According to him, “I thought he would have first visited critical stakeholders and engage them in discussions to clearly understand issues in the ports, instead of making such unguided statement”.
To me, “Such comment coming from Mr Klaus Laursen, is a clear indication that he is starting on a bad note.
In fact, he needs prayers. Why I said he needs prayers is because if you are not at the place where a dead body is buried and wants to exhume, you will start from the legs.
“So, I don’t even understand what he had in mind by saying that freight forwarders are not coming to clear containers from the terminals.
“What is the meaning of such volatile statement? Is he saying that someone will have a container in the port and leave it there? What about the finances involved in carrying out such responsibility and the investment?
“At what point will he make reference to Section 31 of Customs law that deals with Cargo dwell time in the port? That means, he is not even conversant with that section of the law, because if he understands what the law says, he will be well guided in his statement”.
He pointed out, “The truth is that government has provided for these measures but the regulatory agencies are not implementing the laws the way they should. That is the reason we see issues of non-compliance with directives from government.
That is why Nigerian Shippers’ Council and other regulatory agencies of government must invoke their power of coersion, to make arrest and stop civil litigation that is not taking us anywhere”.
