Protest: Clearing agents, truckers abandon cargoes at Lagos Ports

In spite of assurances by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Controller Babatunde Olomu that the Lagos ports will be opened for business on Thursday, majority of the clearing agents and truckers operating at the Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports stayed away from work due to the #EndBadGovernance protest.

Speaking on why clearing agents didn’t turn up for cargo clearance, the National Coordinator of the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), Osita Patrick Chukwu disclosed that it will be counterproductive to move cargoes out of the port at this time because such cargoes might be looted.

Chukwu said there is not much activity at the ports because majority of the clearing agents decided to sit at home to watch the direction of the protests.

“Many agents didn’t come to the ports today because many were not sure of the pattern of the protest,” Osita Chukwu told the Nigerian Tribune.

Also speaking, a truck driver, Tunde Umar said most of the truckers refused to put their trucks on the road out of fear of vandalisation by hoodlums and touts who might hijack the protest.

“My boss said I should not leave the garage because of the fear of his truck being vandalized by touts. He also doesn’t want the goods inside the container to be looted,” the truck driver explained to the Nigerian Tribune.
Confirming skeletal operations at the ports, the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Command, Usman Abubakar, said economic activities are currently ongoing at various terminals in the Apapa port and the command but at a skeletal level.

According to Abubakar, “Economic activities are ongoing at the ports, but it’s skeletal. Many people didn’t turn up today, maybe out of fear that the protest might turn violent.” he stated.

Also, the PRO, Tin-Can Island command of the Service, Ngozi Okwara, confirmed skeletal operations at Tin-Can Port.

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