Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, on Wednesday, protested undue delay in cargo clearance, illegal transfer of cargoes from one terminal to another and imposition of fees by the management of the Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of The SIFAX Group.
Speaking during the protest, the Secretary of AREFFN, KLT chapel, Stephen Chukwuma, in a chat with Financial Street, accused the management of Ports and Cargo of deliberately not facilitating the speedy transfer of cargos from their terminal.
Chukwuma alleged that the terminal intentionally delays cargoes, so that the cargo would incur daily demurrage of N13,000 per container.
He also accused the terminal of moving their containers from one terminal to another at the expense of freight forwarders.
But the Head, Corporate Communications of SIFAX Group, Mr. Muyiwa Akande, said that the management of the terminal had invited the group and that they had fruitful discussions.
Akande, however, disclosed that they formed a four-man committee that resolved all the grievances.
According to him, the management of SIFAX Group had, a few months ago, constituted a sort of whistleblower policy that resulted in the dismissal of some employees, adding that SIFAX is a customer-oriented group.
He described the freight forwarders as their customers; hence the management would never do anything to hurt them.
“Demurrage payment is legitimate, but if there are cases of force majeure, as in cases of road construction, which cause delay in movement, the customer is considered and not made to pay demurrage over the period of the delay,” Akande clarified.
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