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Freight Forwarders Accuse Firm Of N60m Fraud

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APM Terminals, operator of the Nigeria’s busiest container port in Lagos has been alleged to have defrauded freight forwarders and importers of a whooping N60 billion through delays in positioning containers for examination and arbitrary charges for demurrage.
The five point allegations which were  contained in a letter to the Controller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko also include what the freight forwarders describe as “Arrogant refusal to discontinue their unacceptable schemes and exploitative charges’’
The freight forwarders (NAGAFF), National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents(NCMDLCA) and Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria(AREFFN) also sought the intervention of anti graft agencies to arrest the situation, which they viewed as exploitative against their members.
In separate letters to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and related offenses Commission (ICPC), they called for urgent attention of the agencies to arrest a situation, they describe as being “very germane and apparently criminal before it gets out of hands.
APMT management was alleged to have contrived a scheme whereby containers due for examination are delayed for upward of two weeks without positioning and still charge agents and importers for the delays
They also alleged that the terminal operator have devised means of trapping containers for periods longer than necessary in the ports. “They crafted a curious policy wherein booking of containers for physical examination and scanning closes by 10am in their office and then an average of at least 5 days  is wasted after booking for examination, documentation for 3 days and loading a further 2 days thereby trapping consignments for periods longer than necessary in the ports.”
The company was also alleged of deliberately delaying import deliveries in order to accumulate what they described as dubious storage charges for themselves with arbitrary increase of debit notes.
The group of freight forwarders associations averred that it contracted independent auditors to ascertain the level of losses cumulatively incurred by their members to APMT and discovered that N60Billion has been lost for alleged delays and not rendered.
“ In order to properly ascertain the scale of APMT’s management fraudulent scheme foisted on our members, we had to engage the services of independent auditors who have come up with a shocking statistics indicating that our members and indeed the entire Nigerian import community(who we work for) have lost to APMT a whooping sum of  N800Million for every 40,000 units of containers delivered through their terminal for the said stagnation or services not rendered but money received by them as a result of dubious scheme founded on dishonesty.
In all since APMT put this scheme in place, our members reckon that they have lost a cumulative sum of over N60Billion.”
The freight forwarders are demanding a full refund of the N60B which according was dishonestly obtained from their members and importers whom they said APMT have subjected to economic slaves in their fatherland.
The freight forwarders also demanded same day booking and same day positioning of containers as it is the practice with other responsible and responsive terminals and a reversal of all charges and debit notes said to have been increased by APMT for the company’s enrichment to the detriment of the Nigerian economy.
They also alleged that several letters sent to APMT on the issue through their Legal Adviser were ignored and that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, whose responsibility it is to protect shippers’ interest had through a letter indicated interest in the matter.
The letter also expressed that Nigeria Customs Service, Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited and other stakeholders had at a recent meeting jointly agree that APMT is responsible for delays being experienced in the container port.
In a terse response, Bolaji Akinola, Media Adviser to APMT in an electronic mail to journalists said “This is pure propaganda; fabricated lies, falsehood, blackmail and unsubstantiated claims. It is their stock in trade and we know them already. We will respond comprehensively and appropriately’’.

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Fall Off Container Crushes Woman To Death

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Tragedy struck on Friday, when a fully loaded 40ft container fell from a Mack truck and crushed a woman to death along Lagos, Ibadan Expressway.
The Tide gathered  that the Mack truck was on high speed when the incident occurred around NNPC inward Alapere, Ogudu, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
A statement made available to our correspondent in Lagos by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightment Department of Lagos State traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, said a fully loaded 40ft Mack articulated truck fell on a Nissan car with registration number ABJ 692BG and instantly killed a woman at the rear of the car, while the car driver survived unhurt with the support of LASTMA officials.
Taofiq confirmed that the driver of the Mack articulated truck with his motor-boy ran away immediately the fatal accident occurred.
He said, according to preliminary investigation, the truck while on a high speed lost control as a result of a brake failure and rammed into a moving Nissan car on motion by N.N.P.C inward Alapere, Ogudu, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos.
The rescue agencies at the scene of the crash were the LASEMA, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Police.
Also at the accident scene were the LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, LASTMA Director of Traffic Incidents, Event Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance, Mr. Hakeem Adeosun, and the LASTMA rescue team.
General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare Oki, however, warned motoring public, particularly truck drivers, to stop over speeding and ensure their vehicles are properly checked, including the braking system, before embarking on any journey within or outside the State.
The incident attracted passers-by, who thronged the scene lamenting the unfortunate incident, accusing men of the ports task force of negligence.

 

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

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PTML Customs Posts N66.92bn Revenue In First Quarter 2024

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The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has presented an impressive revenue record collection for the first quarter of 2024.
According to the Command, it collected the sum of N66,920,181,586.30 as total revenue for the quarter of 2024, which is N22,198,965,809.55 higher than N44,721,215,776.75 collected between January and March 2023, representing 49.6 percent increase.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command , Compt. Saidu Abba Yusuf, who described the increase in revenue collection as a laudable feat , said the Command is more committed towards trade facilitation and support government drive for ease of doing business.
Comptroller Yusuf, who thanked the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for initiating strategies to achieve faster cargo clearance, reiterared that PTML Command under his watch aims to surpass its record of three hour cargo clearance for compliant traders.
According to Yusuf, the launching of time release study (TRS), which is ongoing, and other deliberate efforts by the Comptroller General have contributed in the expansion of terminal space and promoting ease of doing business in PTML.
He also disclosed that the PTML Command has potentials to achieve two hour cargo clearance and surpass its existing three hours record, if port users compliance level is improved upon.
Comptroller Yusuf, who described PTML as one of the safest and most secure environment for RoRo (Roll On Roll Off) and general cargoes, also advised importets and their agents to take advantage of the incentives available for compliant traders such as fast track, advance ruling and possible migration to the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.
He reminded port users in PTML of the robust and time conscious dispute resolution mechanism, which has contributed immensely to the revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti smuggling functions of the Command.
While commending the various government and private sector stakeholders for their cooperation and support towards realisation of government goal of revenue collection and prevention of unlawful activities, Comptroller Yusuf expressed optimism that the Command will surpass its annual target for the year.

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Customs Comptroller Lauds Scanning Officers Over Efficiency

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The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba, has commended the officers of the Non Intrusive Inspection Technology Unit (NIITU) for their invaluable contributions to the overall success of the Command.
Comptroller Jaiyeoba, who was on an unscheduled visit to the scanner site, reminded the officers of the importance of team work as a strong basis to sustain the gains of compliance and revenue collection recently recorded by the Command.
According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Command, CSC Abubakar Usman, Comptroller Jaiyeoba thanked Deputy Comptroller, Salamatu Atuluku, the Officer in Charge of scanning site, and encouraged the unit not to be deterred by complaints coming from persons who were made to pay accurate duties to government after issuance of demand notices.
The Customs boss stated that no business person who is made to part with money will be happy with officers that refused compromising the ethics of their job.
He noted that “The main reason for me coming here is to appreciate you. I may not see you, but I have seen your work and I won’t keep quiet about what I have seen about your work. You are doing very well. I just want to encourage you to work as a team. If you don’t work as a team, you give room for outsiders to come in and when they come in, they divide you, and when they divide you, achieving success will be very difficult.
“Do your work without blemish. Once you keep your arm straight, you can stand before anybody. Your work as a Customs Officer is to ensure that you do the correct thing.
“For those of you doing intervention in the form of Demand Notice (DN), there is no body who part with money that will be happy with you. They will want to play intelligent by hiding somewhere. When you fetch them from their hiding place, they become your enemy.
Whatever they write about anybody here will still come down to me and if anybody works well, the onus on me is to defend such a person .
“Just have it at the back of your mind that you owe yourself the duty of doing your work diligently whether anyone comes around as a friend or enemy. It is not enough for you to rest. The reward for hard work is more work. These demands require sacrifice so that you can maintain the status”.

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