President General, South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association Wants Port To Be Decongested!

President General, South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association Wants Port To Be Decongested!

President General South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEMATA) has appealed to the Comptroller General Nigerian Customs to look into the cases harassment on motorist by Nigerian Custom officers on the highways concerning documentation of vehicles as well as decongestion of Port Harcourt port.

President General SEMATA, Chief Gozie Akudolu,made the appeal through a communique which was made available to anaedoonline.ng by the trade body, saying that the vehicles were properly registered after they were purchased.

“Nigerian Custom Service Officers on the highways demand custom documents of cars which have been used in the country for more than four years. Most of the innocent motorists have their vehicles impounded and duties which were cleared from the ports when they were bought are re-demanded again. We appeal to you sir, to prevail on officers on the highways and save us from this hardship.”

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Speaking about the congestation Port Harcourt Port , the communique highlighted how congestation of the port has affected the time of clearing and delivery of imported goods.

“Comptroller General, we most humbly and respectfully bring to your notice, one of the greatest challenges that is affecting us, which is the congestion of Port Harcourt port. There is serious congestion going on in the Port Harcourt port which has made clearing and delivery of our cargoes that used to take about thirty days for delivery , to now take upto sixty days.”

”We believe that you may not be aware of this development. We pray you, as a matter of urgency, to extend similar drastic decongestion exercise as you are doing in lagos port to Port Harcourt port to save us from this very serious bottle neck,” It reads .

However, Chief Gozi Akudolu, in the communique , complimented the efforts of the Comptroller General since assumption of office , commending him for the great work he has done in lagos port and also pledged his unalloyed support to him .

An excerpt of the communique reads ,”we commend the positive innovations and transformation you have brought to bear on the Nigerian Custom Service since your assumption of office. These positive innovations have assisted in enhancing the ease of doing business amongst our members and we enjoin you to keep the heat steady. We assure you of the continued support and cooperation of our members.”

“We commend the serious decongestion exercise currently going on in Lagos port, which has made importers and traders to heave a sigh of relief, as the nightmare which the port congestion has given us is better imagined than experienced. We thank you very much for this important decogestion exercise,” It Communique Concluded.