By Godfrey Bivbere & Godwin Oritse

The Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, has warned that the Council, as the port regulator will not accept any form of arbitrariness in charges or abuse by any operator.

The Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello, issued the warning at the Onne Port, Rivers State, when top management of the Council visited the Integrated Logistic Services, Intels.

The visit offered the Council, first-hand knowledge of the operations of the company, and enable it appraise the complaints received from other operators as economic port regulator.

Hassan said this was necessary because they wanted to be very objective in their regulatory function, and told Intels that operators should expect the Council to intervene whenever there are disagreements.

The NSC helmsman also said that the visit will afford them the opportunity to access Intels level of efficiency, tariff structure, unilateral and arbitrary factors.

He also stressed that because the Council wanted to be fair to all, they will ensure that all tariff structures are scientific and therefore will not allow any form of arbitrariness.

He assured the Intels management that the visit was not a fault finding one, but that apart from the above, it will also give them the opportunity to listen to them.

He said that the visit will also afford the Council the opportunity to know the challenges being faced by the company as well as the responsibility of government in the concession agreement that has not been done.

Responding, the Head, Operations, Intels, Mr. Marko Miskovic, told the visiting team that the company has nothing to hide, and assured them of the cooperation in the performance of their duty as the port economic regulator.

On the accusation that his company has become a monopoly in some area of port operations, Miskovic said that the concession agreement signed with government gave them the right to handle oil and gas cargoes.

He stressed that oil and gas cargoes are very sensitive and that they needed specialised cargo handling equipment, as damage of one such cargo could cost the owners and government financial losses running into millions of dollars.