By Godwin Oritse

Shipping  firms operating in Nigeria stands the risks of being sanctioned by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as most of them have refused to fully comply with the Cargo Tracking Note scheme.

It will be recalled that the NPA has written to all shipping firms reminding them of the need to comply with the scheme.

There are about eight shipping firms that may axed if the authority decides to beat violators of the CTN scheme into line as their action could lead to security challenge both to the cargo and the entire port system.

The Managing Director of the NPA Engineer Omar Suleiman has said that any shipping firm found to have fallen short of the directive in any way will be sanctioned. Effort to get the Chairman of the CTN implementing Committee Malam Mohammed Bulango was futile as he was said to be at a meeting.

Meanwhile, General Manager in charge of Public Affairs, Chief Michael Ajayi said that he was surprised that shipping firms are not adhering to the scheme despite the notice sent to them.

NPA has warned shipping firms that failure to comply with the scheme will attract a 100 percenmt penalty by the carrier.

Part of the Notice reads “Management has observed with dismay the low compliance by shippers with the Federal Executive Council directive for the implementation of Cargo Tracking Note, in spite of the long grace period allowed for operational adjustments.

Pursuant to the enforcement circular earlier issued, notice is hereby given that effective February 14, 2011, all shipments not covered by CTN certificate would attract 100 percent penalty payable by the carrier”.

A report sighted by Vanguard suggests that Mearskline’s vessel, M. V. Mearsk Inverness which arrived the port on the 15th of last month with a total number of 738 containers, had over 173 of those containers without CTN number representing 82.02% compliance.

Also for Comet Shipping, with a total number of 38 Bill of Lading only 5.3 percent of the total number of containers brought were CTN compliant while over 90% according to statistical figure made available to Vanguard were without ctn,

Out of the 328 containers brought in by ‘M .V CMGCGM Cortes’ which arrived on March 10, 2011, only 52 percent of the number were compliant to the CTN scheme

The figure also showed that while 239 “20″ and 89 “40″ containers were compliant,63 of “20″ and 51 of “40″ were non – compliant.

For Hull Blyth’s ‘M.V Portofino’ which arrived Lagos port on March 11, 2011, only 59 percent of compliant level as against super maritime vessel ‘M. V tour pomerol which was said to have arrived on 15th of March 2011 whose compliance level was put at 0 percent. Although, when the CTN scheme was first introduced, importers and other stakeholders vehemently opposed it saying that it will bring about added cost of cargo in the port.

The government however went on with the scheme saying that it will both the cargo and port facilities where these cargoes are received for onward trans shipment.