Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has escalated its concerns over the recurrent server failures plaguing the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), prompting a formal petition to the federal ministry of finance.
In a letter addressed to the Honourable Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the National Coordinator of the 100 percent Compliance team under NAGAFF, Honorable Ibrahim Tanko, expressed profound dismay over the debilitating impact of the ongoing server malfunctions.
Tanko highlighted the severe repercussions, including heightened hardship, demurrage charges, revenue losses, and disruptions across the maritime industry.
The petition detailed the distressing scenario faced by freight forwarders, with an estimated 1,600 containers stranded daily at major ports such as Apapa, TinCan, PTML, and Kirikiri Lighter terminal.
These delays, exacerbated by the alleged ineffectiveness of the current service provider, Web Fontaine, have culminated in financial losses exceeding millions of naira per day.
Amid growing frustration and restiveness among stakeholders, the petition urged for an immediate review of the service provider contract and demanded transparency regarding its procurement.
Tanko emphasized the urgency for swift intervention to avert the potential shutdown of port operations, underscoring the need for lasting solutions to address the systemic server failures.
The letter in full details; “The Honorable Minister Sir, we are deeply saddened to inform your good office that for the last three weeks, we have been saddled with an unbearable yoke of intermittent server collapse and or failure in the Nigeria customs service platform.
“Sir, this breakdown and failure of customs servers have in no small measure occasioned an unimaginable hardship, demurrage, loss of revenue, and serious disruption of services in the maritime industry. The attendant losses are better imagined both for us as freight forwarders and the federal government.
“The Honorable sir, we as stakeholders and users of the customs servers are going through a lot in the hands of our teeming customers, shipping companies and terminal operators. This is so as the terminal Operators charge the sum of (sixty two thousand naira) per day. The Shipping companies charge #58,000.00 (fifty eight thousand naira) per day.
“For instance sir, we have an average of 1,600 containers trapped by the server failure in each of the ports of Apapa, TinCan, PTML and Kirikiri Lighter terminal respectively, with an estimated sum of #192,000,000 (One hundred and ninety two million naira) being lost daily.
“When this sum is multiplied with more than two thousand containers that are equally denied exit from off dock terminals due to the server failure/breakdown, the consequential effect is better imagined than experienced. This had been a recurring decimal over time with the customs service provider, namely, WEB FONTAINE.
“Sir, it is now being alleged that a new outfit or new service provider has been appointed to replace the WEB FONTAINE. If that is the case Honorable sir, we respectfully call for a total review of their contract for the circumstance and situation has degenerated to unbearable state. We are taken aback as to why such outfit that has over the time manifested gross incompetence is hired and allowed to oversee such critical infrastructure of the Nigeria customs service.
“Moreover, our association and other freight forwarders wish to know how and when the service contract was entered and consummated; why the server failures and breakdown is so frequent and unabated. There is so much pain and untold hardship, this has caused serious frustration, and also led to restiveness among freight forwarders. If not, our appeal and our untiring peace efforts, things would have gone out of hand.
“If we may ask sir, howbeit rhetorically, how long will this menace continue unabated? Sir if this ugly situation is allowed to persists, we may have no other option than to shut down the entire Ports. Hence we implore you sir to intervene as soon as practicable. We therefore sir, call on you to use your good offices to critically look into this customs server breakdown and failures that make the customs network and or servers to breakdown so frequently and offer a lasting solution.
“Sir we solicit for your urgent attention to this menace, as stated in the letter “.
The petition underscores the critical role of the finance ministry in addressing the systemic challenges undermining the efficiency of customs operations, calling for urgent action to mitigate the adverse effects on the maritime sector.
The NAGAFF’s petition serves as a clarion call for government intervention to restore confidence and functionality in the customs service infrastructure, safeguarding the interests of stakeholders and ensuring the seamless flow of trade activities across Nigerian ports.