Following the victory by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in the case of arbitrary charges against shipping companies and terminal operators at the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, stakeholders in the maritime industry have called for scrapping of arbitrary charges and reduction of other charges by the service providers.
It could be recalled that a Federal High court in Lagos had ruled in favour of the Council in December 2014 when the providers of shipping services challenged the Council’s declaration that the increase in charges effected was illegal.
The shipping companies and terminal operators had appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal. The superior court upheld the judgment of the high court by Wednesday’s ruling.
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) called on the council to wield the big stick on the service providers with immediate effect.
Mr. Stanley Ezenga,the image maker of the association, noted that the arbitrary charges by the service providers led to the recent withdrawal of service by port users.
Ezenga stressed that the verdict in favour of the Council was a welcome development, adding that the victory would create an enabling environment for shippers and investors.
The spokesman however expressed hope that the Council would hit the ground running on the reversal of charges.
“My take is that this is a cheering news in the face of the present economic recession.NAGAFF, being an advocacy group, has been in the forefront of agitation against this shylock business group who are bent on inflicting more economic injuries on Nigerians.
“You should recall that arbitrary increase and unilateral increase of charges are among the mischief we set to cure during the last withdrawal of service by freight forwarders, customs agents and truckers.
“Moreso now that the federal government is creating an environment to ease the cost of doing business, going by the executive order signed recently by the acting President.
“However I hope by this victory, Nigeria Shippers Council has been given the impetus to bite by welding the big stick against any defaulters, he added.
Another Shipper called on the Council to prove to Nigerians that it has what it takes to bite.
The terminal operators and the shipping lines and agencies had dragged the Council to a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi Lagos after the ports economic regulator moved to stop them from collecting shipping charges it considered illegal.