By JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT – FORMER Chairman of the Port Harcourt Seaport, Onne chapter of the Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents, ANLCA, Chief Obi Chima has asked the Federal Government to hand over the scanning of containers at the seaports to the Nigeria Customs and Excise.

Chima who spoke in an interview with Vanguard said it was unpatriotic to ask the  firm, SGS, to handle a job which Customs could execute perfectly, adding that the decision should be rescinded by the Federal Government.

According to him, “government can not be talking of 24 hour clearing at the Nigerian ports  to avoid congestion when we are experiencing this problem of delay.

‘We fear that if urgent steps are not taken to arrest the ugly trend there will another  problem of congestion.” He added, ‘’what SGS is doing  can be handled by the Customs and leaving it for  Customs will enhance efficiency”.

Chima also said: ‘’We the port users, especially, the licenced customs’ agents are losing  productive  hours due to  delay in scanning of  containers by SGS and thus frustrated by the firm currently saddled with the task at the eastern ports.’

“We do not know how to describe the situation now because they are not doing what they used to do at Onne Seaport and time is money. There is dearth of facilities, hence the delay being caused in the clearance of goods.

“The earlier the Federal Government asks the Customs to do this job the better for the nation. SGS workers do not resume early, yet, they will go on break by noon. So at break time you do not see anybody to attend to you.   All these contribute to why containers are delayed at the terminal.  And this delay is not helping the industry. This does not happen in Lagos.

When Vanguard visited the seaport,  several trucks were on queue waiting to be attended even as there was no staff of the SGS was willing to speak on the worries of the agents.