THE Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, has threatened to bar any unregistered port service provider from accessing the nation’s seaports across the country.

Speaking at a one day awareness seminar on the registration of port service providers, Director of Consumer Services of the Council, Chief Cajetan Agu, said that the law is clear about non-compliant service providers. Agu also said that the agency will be very strict about the implementation with regards to accessing the ports after the registration exercise.

He explained that the Council will rely on players to assist the Council in enforcing the law and urged stakeholders to report any infraction. He said, “The Council will punish offenders through enforcement of the law.“GAC, Cosco, Mediterranean Shipping Company and Sharaf Shipping were almost sanctioned recently until they fell back to line.

ALSO READ: FG signs MoU to domesticate passport production

We are relying on you to report to us any service providers that go against the law. The law appointing the Council as economic regulator empowers us to enforce the law whenever there is an infraction as deterrent, Shippers Council will bar any unregistered port service provider from entering the ports.”

Recall that stakeholders at the seminar frowned at the introduction of the registration fees having registered with the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.