Shippers’ Council seals APMDC over non- compliance with regulatory directives, arbitrary charges amongst others
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in its capacity as the Port Economic Regulator, on Tuesday shut down operations of Associated Port & Marine Development Company (APMDC) Limited over failure to adhere to warnings on various infractions.
The Council’s team was led by Mr. Adesina Sarumi, an Assistant Director in the Regulatory Services Department.
The NSC said in a statement that, “The cargo – consolidator had been issued several notices to address infractions ranging from charging in forex to non-compliance with approved nomenclature of charges such as (Transport Adjustment charges, non-vessel operating carriers), outright disregard of terms of mediation reached at NSC and unresolved complaints of over one and half years, among others.”
Speaking shortly after the enforcement exercise, the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement Division, Mrs. Celine Ifeora, said that NSC had invited APMDC for meetings to resolve the issues but they refused to honour the invitations.
She said that the NSC was left with no choice but to carry out the enforcement by sealing APMDC’s premises, and that the APMDC would remain closed until the issues were addressed.
Mrs. Ifeora said, “They don’t want to listen to any agency representing government. That is why we went out today to carry out the enforcement exercise on APMDC.
“Two warnings letters have been forwarded asking them not to introduce new tariffs and charges without the consent of government but they refused to comply and rather they introduced another new tariff heading.”
Also speaking on the issue, Sarumi, who led the enforcement team, said that the enforcement exercise was informed by the need to address anomalies at APMDC.
He said that the issues revolved around introduction of charges not approved by Council, making of payments in dollars on services rendered in Nigeria, among others.
Following the enforcement exercise, Alhaji Bashir Ambi of the Complaints Unit, said that the Unit had received series of complaints from the users of the services of APMDC.
The NSC said that all efforts to speak to the company failed.
