National Security Advise, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

The 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders -NAGAFF has petitioned the National Security Adviser NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu over the activities of the operators of scanning machines located within the western seaports.

In a letter addressed to the Office of the National Security Adviser, signed by its National Coordinator, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Tanko and made available to newsmen, the Compliance Team accused the operators of deliberately subverting the original plan and purpose of introducing scanning machines in cargo clearing processes, especially, in the nation’s western seaports, thereby perpetuating the option of physical examination.

The Compliance Team in the letter also lamented what it described as high level of sabotage in Nigeria’s seaports, saying that the efforts of the Federal Government to secure the nation are grossly undermined by some agencies, concessionaires and public officers in positions of authority.

The letter reads in part: “We write your good office regarding deliberate, malicious and orchestrated methods by which the operators of the nation’s seaports subvert the plan and purpose of introducing scanning machines in cargo clearing processes, especially, in the nation’s Western Seaports. You may recall that the rationale, purpose, and original intention of introducing scanning machines principally, was among other reasons, to facilitate trade and ensure timely cargo clearing processes.

“The conventional method, and or idea was for freight forwarders or agents to bring in their container laden trucks to the scanning site, and after undergoing the statutory procedures and extant processes, would thereafter exit the port. If however, the container fails the scanning test, the agent takes his truck to the physical examination platform where the suspected infractions, namely, wrong declaration, concealment and other noticeable infractions are referred to relevant government agencies or units for further actions.

“However, and unfortunately so, what we have and experience now is deliberate circumvention of the near- perfect arrangements of Cotecna in scanning of goods, this is obviously for parochial or pecuniary interest.

” However, the concessionaires have hitherto adopted a cumbersome style and methods of ensuring and insisting that clearing agents must use only their own trucks instead of the usual conventional and fast method of the agents bringing their own trucks.

“The implication of the concessionaire’s method is that every scanned container is returned to the stack irrespective of the examination status, making agents to pay so much in demurrage, hiring and paying for trucks twice. Woe betide one if the result of scanning, his container is returned as suspect, the person is subsequently subjected to another booking for physical examination at another fee to the terminal operator, making it a double payment for a supposed single process. The implication is that this cumbersome procedure breeds corruption and consequently pose security risk.

 “More so, we are of the opinion that if the examination platform meant for examination of containers is utilised, the alarming seizures, such as the ones recorded in Port Harcourt would have been prevented, this is because it would be detected by the scanning machine.”

However, the Team commended the NSA, saying that the procurement of the scanning machines was part of the Federal Government’s efforts towards securing the country hence the reason the association considered it appropriate to bring this to your attention, especially the unwholesome and untoward activities of Western seaports operators, which in no small measure, have occasioned loss of government revenues, with dire security implications, and impairment of trade facilitation.

The NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team therefore urged the NSA to swiftly call the terminal operators and their collaborators to order.