Shippers’ council promises to end extortion at ports
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, has promised to stop extortions at the ports.
Bello also debunked reports about the withdrawal of drivers attached to the Presidential Taskforce on Apapa Traffic. Bello told The Guardian via telephone, that he was not aware of such reported withdrawal.
The report had quoted an inside source to have said the management of the NSC had asked its staff deployed to assist the taskforce to resume duty at its corporate head offices and must not be seen anymore with the Kayode Opeifa-led road marshal along the port corridors.
But Bello refuted the report, saying: “I am not aware of that. What I know is that the NSC will fight the extortions at the port corridors because we cannot be part of it.”
Recall that stakeholders in the port industry had called for the withdrawal of the task force, even as they stated that the traffic situation worsened under its control.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders and others have clamoured for the withdrawal of the team as traffic around Apapa worsened.
