JANUARY 11, 2012 BY AGENCY REPORTER
The Lagos ports remained shut on Tuesday as the nationwide strike
by labour unions and civil rights groups entered the second day,
trapping about 29 ships.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the strike has disrupted
scheduled traffic of international shipping to Nigeria as ships neither
berth nor go out of the ports.
The shipping position made available by the Nigerian Ports Authority
for Monday showed that about 29 ships are waiting to berth and
discharge their consignments at the ports and other oil terminals.
Fifteen of the ships are laden with petroleum products such as
kerosene, petrol, aviation fuel and ethanol, while 14 others waiting to
berth have bulk cargoes such rice, fish, bulk cement and other
containerised goods on board.
Another 81 ships are also expected to arrive in Lagos ports this
month.
There are indications that should the workers’ strike persists, there
might be congestion and a need to divert ships to neighbouring ports.
The Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area 1
Command, Mr. Timi Bomodi, said that officers were at their duty
posts but that customs agents were not coming forward to process
their documents.
Mr. Lucky Amiwero, a freight forwarder, said that in addition to
looking into labour’s demand for the retention of subsidy on fuel,
government should also address a lot of problems in the maritime
industry.
He said the problems of demurrage, rents and transfer of overtime
containers to Ikorodu terminal should be addressed.
Amiwero told NAN that paying as much as N9,000 demurrage on a
container daily was too expensive.
He also condemned the on-going transfer of overtime containers to
Ikorodu terminal, saying that importers of such containers ought to
be granted some grace periods and at reduced storage charges.

punchng.com/news/29-ships-trapped-as-lagos-ports-remain-shut/


Oh dearest God !