Haulage cost at Tin-Can Island Port (TCIP) in Lagos, has risen by 50 per cent in just one week as the gridlock on the port access roads worsen.

Daily Trust correspondent gathered that truck owners have hiked freight cost N1.2 million about a week ago to N1.8m (50%) to haul a container from the port to any other part of Lagos.

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Daily Trust had reported last week that the cost of doing business especially for the importation of goods through this same port had risen to N600,000 from N300,000 in 2019.

Some of the truckers who spoke to this paper blamed the hike on the continuous by suspected touts allegedly security agents along the port route.

It was also learnt that if the situation is unchecked, the freight cost could rise to over N2m before the year ends.

About 40 ships calling at the TCIP are said to be stranded at anchorage due to lack of space to discharge new cargoes at terminals in the port. This is because cargo evacuation has been hampered by the multiple toll points mounted by security operatives and taskforce members.

Truck drivers said they have to part with over N200,000 per truck at checkpoints and other blockages to gain access to the port through the gridlock infested roads.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) whose members suffer the effects of the gridlock had threatened strike action but was pacified by the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Commenting, Managing Director of Port & Cargo Handling Services, John Jenkins, expressed frustration over the situation.

“There are in excess of 40 vessels at anchorage. At Port & Cargo, we could only bring seven. Last month, we kept one of the MSC vessels there for four days because they could not discharge and this month, we have kept vessels for more than two days already because we don’t know where to put the containers.”

Chairman of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi, said accused the taskforce of being complicit. “They have formed a cartel and if you are not in that group, they will not pass your truck no matter who you are.”

A clearing agent operating at the Tin Can Island Port, Ojo Akintoye, said there are more than four roadblocks before the port.

The National Vice President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Kayode Farinto, also called for the disbandment of the Presidential Task Team.

Recently, the House of Representatives asked that the Presidential Task Team on the Apapa gridlock be disbanded over its failure to contain the situation.

“Concerned that in addition to the poor condition of the port access roads, extortion by officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority, security department, Police, and the Presidential Task Force remain the major cause of unending gridlock along the port access roads, with stakeholders such as importers, clearing agents and truck owners alleging that they are forced to pay as much as N250,000 to N280,000 per truck for entries and exits to the ports.

“These apparatus milking the stakeholders at the expense of the nation should be held accountable, while the task force, which has demonstrated that it has outlived its usefulness, should be disbanded forthwith,” said a Member of the House, Leke Abejide, who sponsored a motion of “urgent national importance” on the issue.

NPA was contacted for comments over the worsening situation. The Assistant General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications at NPA, Ibrahim S. Nasiru, said the authority has formed an anti-corruption unit saddled with the responsibility of monitoring the activities of personnel of the authority posted to port access roads.

However, he added that the alleged extortions were mere allegation. “However, the accusation present is a mere allegation. It has not been substantiated.”

Reacting to NPA forming a unit on the gridlock, National President of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Adeyanju Adewale, said NPA has promised to include the union in a fresh committee to be set up.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello, whose agency eases shipping businesses was not available on telephone and did not respond to our correspondent’s text message.

Similarly, Vice President of the Presidential Task Team, Kayode Opeifa, did not respond to calls and text messages. The Team did not also respond to Daily Trust last week on this same issue.