NSC Decries Rising Port Charges

The Executive Secretary
of Nigeria Shippers Councils (NSC), Hassan Bello, has expressed dismay over an alleged frequent increase in Port charges by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
Bello made this assertion during a visit to Ports and Terminal Operators of Nigeria Limited (PTOL) at Area I, Port Harcourt Port on a fact finding mission, recently.
He said it is wrong for the authority and its concessionaires to increase charge without considering other factors and promised that NSC, the Federal Government-approved economic regulators of port activities in the country would intervene in order to ensure co-operation and better operations.
According to him, “Our stand is that NPA must comply with their obligations stipulated by the concessioning agreement.
Nobody can increase charges without consulting Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), as the economic regulators of the Ports. We will intervene very shortly.
The NSC scribe hinted that the council would intervene in areas of contractual agreement s to ensure total compliance of all port charges, as to enable all concerned to do their obligations in accordance with the agreement reached.
Earlier, the PTOL operations Manager, Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi who spoke for the management  complained of harassment, imposition of levies arbitrarily as well as security charges.
Abdullahi kicked-against increase port charges yearly even with the low vessel patronage to their berths and also called for the dredging of the port Harcourt Port water channel to enable bigger vessels berth at the port.
He also complained of criminal activities at the port as hoodlums attack vessels and make away with goods and property and called for the construction of perimeter fence within the water channel to protect the port from thieves.

Port Harcourt Port Berth 8 undergoing rehabilitation.