The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has clarified that transfer of overtime cargoes from the ports to the government warehouse in Ikorodu is not the responsibility of Customs but the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Managing Director of NPA, Muhammed Bello- Koko had recently said there are over 5,000 overtime containers across the nation’s ports taking up space for new imports at the seaport terminals.
Bello- Koko spoke during an interactive session organized with the House of Representatives Committee on Customs where he asked the Service to auction the overtime containers to decongest the nation’s seaports.
Cargoes are classified as overtime when they have stayed in the port for 28 days without the importer or clearing agent coming up to clear them and take delivery.
Controller of the Command, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta told journalists that it requires a lot in terms of logistics and financial commitment to move overtime cargoes from the port to the government warehouse in Ikorodu.
