Rivers
Nigerian Ports, World’s Longest In Cargo Clearance Timing -NSC Boss
Among the comity of ports around the world, Nigerian Ports have been said to have the record of the longest time of cargo clearance with about 21days.
Other countries including Singapore and Togo spend just about six hours in clearing cargoes of importers.
Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Emmanuel Jime, revealed this at the one-day training workshop for men and officers of the Maritime Police Command with the theme, ‘Understanding The Role and Impact of the Police in the Maritime Industry’ in Port Harcourt, on Thursday.
Represented by the Director, South-South zone, Glory Onojedo, Jime not only decried the length of time spent by importers in the clearance of their goods but the extortion of consignees at the ports.
Jime noted with dismay the varied and various agencies and groups at the nation’s sea ports, stating that these and their activities have constituted the delay in the time of cargo clearance.
In his words, “The Nigerian sea ports have the record of being the ports with the longest cargo clearing time in the world. While it takes six hours to clear cargo in Singapore and almost same time in Lome, Togo, it takes an average of 21 days to do so in any of the Nigerian ports. ”This is because of undue interference by so many groups that are not supposed to interfer in cargo movement as well as some groups that are not supposed to be in the ports.
“Statutorily, only about several groups are supposed to be at the ports but every agency is agitating to be in the ports. In spite of the delays, they extort money from consignees at the ports.”
Also speaking, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Maritime Police Command, Ibrahim Kaoje, noted the intense security concerns within the nation’s maritime domain and stressed the need for the training and retraining of maritime security operators in tackling the menace.
Kaoje, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police in-charge of Rivers Port Command, Evelyn Peterside, described the ocean as the cradle of civilization, stating that such civilisation can only gain prosperity through a secured and safe ocean.
Peterside lauded the NSC for the workshop and particularly the involvement of the police personnel in the sector.
“Since the ocean holds the key to the fast revolving global order, the oceans are the cradle of civilisation and civilization can only prosper when the sea is safe, secured and free from all forms of security threats.
“With pockets of security concerns in the Nigerian maritime domain, the need for training and retraining of maritime security operators, which the Police is one of the stakeholders cannot be over-emphasised.
“It is at this juncture, that I commend strongly, the efforts of the organisers of the programme, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, for her thoughtfulness to train the police personnel in the sector, she stated.
By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi