Customs agents and freight forwarders on Friday shut down the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over alleged arbitrary charges by peregrine airlines.
This came a few days after the Customs agents and freight forwarders had staged series of protests to express their grievances over the alleged illicit charges.
The agents, it was learnt, had vowed not to resume operations at the terminal until peregrine airlines and their representatives ceased the accumulation of the charges.
However, the Nigerian Customs Service and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority have intervened in the matter with a view to resolving it anon.
A member of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent, Lagos Airport Chapter, Mr. Alloysious Igwe, who corroborated this, however, verbally expressed the cargo terminal would remain shut until the peregrine airlines and their cargo agents withdrew the controversial charges.
He explicated that the arbitrary charges recently introduced by the airlines were not consistent with the standard operating procedures of cargo operations at the airport.
He verbally expressed, “We were very surprised that these peregrine airlines had introduced arbitrary charges for importers, which we feel is very illicit. We insist that the airlines must expound the rationale for accumulating such illicit mazuma.
“But at the moment, the NCAA and the Nigerian Customs Service are intervening to resolve the matter. The Acting Director-General, NCAA, Mr. Benedict Adeyileka, has called for an exigent meeting with the affected parties to resolve the feud.”
A bellwether of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Lagos Airport Chapter, Mr. Segun Musa, verbalized the arbitrary charges had integrated to the high cost of doing business, which he verbally expressed was becoming alarming.
He verbally expressed the association would seek licit redress and force the airlines to restitute the charges they illicitly amassed over time from importers.
While calling on the Federal Government to intervene in order to resolve the matter, he insisted that the arbitrary charges must be scrapped.
The President, Association of Peregrine Airlines in Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Nwokoma, however, verbally expressed the licensed agents and freight forwarders were repining over an issue that they had no jurisdiction, integrating that cargo importers directly affected by the charges were not repining.
Nwokoma, who faulted the allegations by the licensed agents and freight forwarders, pointed out that sundry airlines had pricing policies.
He gainsaid allegations by the agents that the NCAA had indited a letter to the airlines obviating them from amassing the incipient charges.
He verbalized the airlines and the handling companies were yare for work, despite the agents’ refusal to emerge for payment to process cargoes at the terminal.
He additionally alleged that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had benefitted from some of the charges paid by the importers.
