The 10-day strike action embarked upon by truck drivers in the maritime industry has taken another dimension on the cost of doing business in port operations, as freight forwarders and licensed customs agents on Thursday lamented that haulage charges on cargoes have skyrocketed by 100 per cent.
Recall that truck drivers in haulage sub sector of the maritime industry embarked on a week long strike over illegalities perpetrated against them by security agencies manning the port access roads.
It was gathered that the cost of moving goods from the port to other locations within Lagos has gone up by almost 100 percent.
The same volume of cargoes that the truckers used to convey at the cost of N130,000 now attracts N300,000.
Speaking to newsmen on the development, Alex Iloh, the Managing Director of Alvindeb, a freight forwarding company lamented how the aftermath of the strike has done more harm than good to stakeholders.
He however blamed the several freight forwarding associations in the sub sector for their selfish interest and inability to fight the course of their members.
Condemning the existing freight forwarding groups, the customs agents lamented that: “What ordinarily was supposed to move outbid Port with N130, 000, will now take with N380, 000 as I speak to you now, and the associations are not doing anything about it .
“I really applauded the ability of truck owners to stand firm and pursue their course making sure they are not ripped off with N5,000.
“The associations are on their own because they are not ready to fight for anybody and today, we are paying demurrage. Why I said they are on their own is because they go behind and collect fat envelope.”
Similarly, immediate past chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarding (NAGAFF),Fred Ajuzie lamented that the transport charges on cargoes have skyrocketed alarmingly.
Ajuzie said apart from the issues of hike in transportation of cargoes out of the port, the truckers are not comfortable despite the call of strike.
He disclosed that the shipping companies and terminal operators are not ready to consider the shippers and their agents in any form of waivers.
Also speaking, Frank Aliakor, a chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) corroborated the claims of Iloh, saying that the agents are going through tough times.
He said: “Forty feet container from Apapa to Trade Fair Complex is now N500,000; Apapa to Jibowu is now N300,000.”
He said that agents needed to pay the cost because they are under pressure from importers in order to deliver the goods to their warehouses.