The Minister of Transportation has ordered the Nigerian Shippers Council to review Port concession agreements of terminal operators before any extensions are approved.
As part of the Minister’s mandates, the council must also establish a port Community system by the end of the year.
The minister of transportation who visited the Nigerian Shippers Council for the first time with his entourage was welcomed by the board and executive management team of the council.
After inspecting the premises, they sat down to discuss issues pertaining to the council as a port economic regulator.
In his remarks, the executive secretary, Emmanuel Jime expressed appreciation to the minister for supporting the initiative to approve cargo tracking nodes.
However, he noted that the council’s legal framework needs to be revamped.
Mr Jime said “We need to strengthen the legal framework in Nigeria’s shippers council.
“The Shippers’ Council and the ACT as constituted does not enable the Nigeria’s shippers council to perform the functions that will bring about the desired efficiency in a way that we’re able to do it”.
For his part, the minister acknowledged the council’s key role in driving efficiency at the port. In this regard, the council was taxed with creating a workable Port framework.
“The minister of transportation exercising powers conferred on him by all extern laws has appointed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as regulators of the port to establish a court community system before the end of this Administration.
“The Nigerian post Authority should not, ought not to have recommended to the ministry the renewal of the leases of the concessions without an input from NSC.
“Where a terminal operators concession should not be renewed, you must be bold enough
to say it should not be renewed because they have not been able to match the targets that were set for them”. Mu’Azu Jaji Sambo said.
The minister assured that the government has deployed technology and real-time monitoring devices to dispel any attack along the Kaduna-Abuja Railroad in response to recurring threats by Bandits.
