…CBI, MACN hosts port-user conference in Port Harcourt
It was a harvest of what has been going on behind the scene in the ports and what is being done to correct them when stakeholders came together in Port Harcourt in the week.
The need to thus press home world class processes in the eastern and western ports seemed to have persuaded maritime watchdog and enforcement agencies to host the workshop.
The Convention on Business Integrity (CBi) and Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) said they brought together stakeholders who work in the ports to participate in a port user conference in the Garden City.
Titled: “Integrity in the International Trade Eco-system: A Value Chain Stakeholder Approach,” the organisers said the crucial conference was in its second edition and brought together key stakeholders from the public, private, and civil society sectors to review and strengthen the response to the regulatory and corruption-related challenges that were said to have continued to constrain the ease of doing business in eastern and western ports.
Specifically, the event provided an opportunity for port users (importers, exporters, licensed agents) to discuss the gaps in compliance to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM) on a port-by-port basis, including challenges in cargo clearance processes.
The founder and CEO of CBI, Olusoji Apampa, who also moderated the conference, said though the CBI was not an enforcer but that the Port Standard Task Team (PSTT) serves as a cross-sector enforcer as team made up of government agencies in the sector.
He said the conference was for Integrity alliance members who have volunteered to not only do things with due process but to also raise red flags wherever infraction was seen in the ports. All of the efforts, he stated, was to make vessels to enter and leave Nigerian ports seamlessly by nipping corruption in the bud.
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Apampa said training and mobilisation were primary so that technology can be deployed on top of a well-trained and mobilised system in the ports, saying efforts so far made have paid off hugely.
In his intervention, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Port Standing Task Team (PSTT), Moses Fadipe, made it clear that technology can boost compliance and reduce corruption, saying it helps to know what is in a vessel ahead.
Showin how far Nigeria has gone, he said no vessel comes to Nigeria’s territorial waters without real time information. “We know what is happening in each vessel coming in.
“Nigeria is thus one of the best in the world, and we export expertise. There is therefore need for continuous collaboration and alliances. Integrity is to be the cornerstone of Nigeria’s business growth drive. The US Coastal Guard was amazed at our progress when we had interaction with them and the saw the extent of our work. We were confident to tell them to go ahead and confirm from the international headquarters in Denmark. They even expressed interest in some of our innovations and successes.”
Speaking on; ‘Regulator-Private Sector Collaboration: Options for Strengthening and Sustaining Compliance Partnerships’, Fadipe said the team recognises the importance of fostering efficiency and transparency in port operations. “We understand that the integrity of the international trade ecosystem is paramount to sustainable economic growth and the facilitation of seamless global commerce.”
Fadipe insisted that collaboration between the regulatory authorities and the private sector was imperative for achieving sustainable progress.
“Both parties are integral to the success of our endeavours. The public sector holds the responsibility of establishing and enforcing regulations, while the private sector possesses the expertise, resources, and innovation necessary to drive efficiency and provide quality services.”
He said regulators must act as facilitators, engaging in open dialogue and consultation with the private sector. “We must listen attentively to the concerns and challenges faced by industry players, seeking to understand their needs and aspirations. Likewise, the private sector must actively participate in compliance efforts, demonstrating a commitment to ethical business practices and a shared vision of integrity.”
He said the desired measures could be achieved through the implementation of robust compliance programs, including anti-corruption measures, enhanced due diligence, and transparent operational processes.
“By upholding the highest standards of ethics and governance, businesses can contribute to a level playing field that promotes fair competition and discourages corrupt practices.
“The use of technologies, such as the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP), our Online-based Help Desk and other internet-based communication interfaces, can provide real-time or prompt monitoring and interventions, ensuring accountability throughout the value chain.”
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I urge all stakeholders present here today to seize the opportunities before us. Let us forge alliances, build trust, and work towards a future where integrity is the cornerstone of our international trade ecosystem. Together, we can create an environment where businesses thrive, investors have confidence, and the benefits of global commerce are realised by all.”
In his keynote address, the CEO of the Institute of Export Operations Management (IEOM), Ofon Udofia, made it clear that for trade to thrive, the port users must be treated as the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy, thus integrity needs. This must be done by encouraging such conferences and dialogues.
During the panel session, Apampa asked the panelists to show why integrity was necessary in the maritime sector. Responding, Emmanuel Etim, based in Calabar, said integrity problem has caused huge problem in Nigeria business climate, disclosing that over $300m has left Nigeria in the sector. He also lamented that 80 per cent of vessel operations are by foreigners.
A veteran in the maritime sector said people pay bribe to facilitate every cargo movement, and wondered how such practice entered the sector whereas he said it was not so in 1970s.
“In that time, there was examination to select customs agents. We must put an end to this or it kills our shipping subsector,” he said.
He urged the authorities to allow chattering of vessels for a start because, according to him, that was how the big shipping lines began.
An officer from the Customs (in Area One PH) said: “We now do sensitisation of maritime operators through regular training.”
An official of the NDLEA said there is no drug-free nation on earth. “Its true that Nigeria is now producer, transit entity, and destination of drugs. There are 20 meta-amphetamine production centres now in Nigeria. It means Nigeria is now a big player.”
She however said it is not true that drugs boom is caused by hunger or joblessness.
“If any youth chooses a trade or vocation, focusses on it, he will surely meet success.
“To track vessels, we use intelligence because we cannot search all vessels coming into Nigeria especially in the face of drive for Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).”
A lawyer on the panel said because of integrity issues, vessels now go to Togo to berth, and move the goods to Nigeria at cost increase.
He said the reason why the cabotage fund is never disbursed is because every minister wants to be the one to disburse the fund. It is billions of dollars.
On the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), he said Nigeria ought to be the hub but our ports are not deep enough but that dredging budgets were never used, and nobody asks why. “If integrity is enforced, Nigeria will grow fast.”
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The moderator (Apampa) said there are many issues still to resolve, one of it being the issue of what a Travel Document is. He said the Act says it is what the DG of Immigration determined it to be at any given time. He then wondered how possible it will be to maintain standards in such a situation.
An Immigration officer said they have a manual, but that a committee has been set up to determine what travel document is.
“My suggestion is that CBI should engage the leadership of Immigration on matters so issues can be resolved and end the disparity. I know that every officer at the port has a manual, and except the top leadership says otherwise, the rank and file must enforce it.”
Fadipe of the PSTT said: “Lets locate the place of Acts and policies. Policies fill gaps in Acts or if Acts change. We have a project/steering committee with Immigration as member.
“We have issues and our image abroad is bad. Such discretional powers can be abused, and they distort standards. It must stop. The world operates by laws.”
Panelists said influx of persons into terminals was bad and that officials are too many in the ports. Others said the operators must understand that no agency was superior to others, and sadly, settlement syndrome is now Nigeria’s maritime culture.
The issue of too much trafficking at the ports including human trafficking, goods, drugs, forestry, etc, was condemned.
An officer from NAFDAC said they get calls especially lawmakers to free arrested persons. “Let CBI create over all standards to be enforced in the industry. Strengthen digital capacity. It appears they sabotage it and claim network problem.
“For integrity to be real, we need capacity, and every agency must take responsibility
“Under-declaring in some situations and declaring fully in other situations is bad in the market.”
An officer from the Shippers Council said: “If we do not sack a person who cleared a cargo which was later impounded, the system will not sit up.”
It was noted that only one scanner in all the ports in PH.
