KLT ANLCA Debunk Alleged Involvement in Container Diversion, Says Members Are Also Suffering

By Amina Ojelabi

The Chairman of the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Ahmed Olajide Bello, has debunked reports suggesting that members of ANLCA are behind the diversion of containers from the terminal.

In an exclusive interview with our correspondent the chapter chairman said it was unfortunate that ANLCA was mentioned in such a context, stating that its members are also suffering the effects of low container traffic at the terminal.

Describing the earlier report as misinformed, the chairman stated: “We have no hand in any diversion of containers. In fact, our members are the ones suffering the most. We pay high charges, yet we don’t see containers come into KLT. It affects our daily operations and revenues.”

He noted that all stakeholders, including terminal operators, customs officers, and freight agents, are concerned about the current lull in activities at KLT, adding that everyone is seeking ways to restore the terminal’s former traffic level.

Citing recent engagements with stakeholders and customs, the ANLCA chairman said the command’s Controller, Comptroller Joy Edelduok, has been actively involved in addressing the situation.

“She’s been calling every time to find out what is going on. But when there is no container movement for two or three weeks, everyone begins to feel the heat,” he explained.

He further highlighted how policy misinterpretation and poor implementation have worsened the challenges at the terminal.

According to the chapter’s secretary, Barr. Adetola Adesanya , the recent policy from the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters which stipulates that containers should no longer be transferred to bonded terminals except by command has been widely misunderstood and wrongly applied by some customs officers, thereby affecting throughput at KLT, despite it being a full customs command and not a bonded terminal.

“We’ve written letters, the leadership of ANLCA has made efforts, but bureaucracy always slows things down.

And in the meantime, containers are being diverted elsewhere, and our members are losing business,” Adesanya said.

He also cited uncompetitive transfer charges by some bonded terminals under the KLT command as one of the reasons agents and shipping companies are avoiding certain facilities.

“Some of them charge excessively for transfers. Agents will always prefer cheaper and more efficient options,” he said.

The ANLCA executives reiterated their commitment to engaging all stakeholders to restore the terminal’s glory.

They expressed hope that with improved communication and clear policies, KLT would soon regain its lost container volume.