Senate to investigate SEAMATA’s complaints on PIL Shipping Company.

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The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, resolved to look into the complaints by the South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEAMATA) over delay of their cargoes and imposition of excessive charges on their containers by PIL Shipping Company.

PIL is a shipping agency with operational base in Nigeria located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Senate resolution came as a result of a comprehensive Motion on the urgent need to rescue the South East Amalgamated Traders Association businesses from total collapse and extinction from shipping lines, especially, the PIL Shipping Agency.

Moving the Motion, the Senator representing Anambra South, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, alerted the Senate on the excruciating pains and extortion suffered by SEAMATA in the hands of PIL Shipping agency entrusted with the task of delivering their containers from China to Nigerian Ports.

Senator Ubah explained that SEAMATA is an umbrella union of traders in all the markets in the Southeast geo-political zone and traders of South East extraction doing business across the federation.

He noted that SEAMATA members in December 2019 and January 2020, entrusted their cargoes and containers from China to PIL for delivery to ports in Nigeria which were supposed to be delivered on or before February 15, 2020, but up till date, some of them are yet to arrive Nigerian ports.

The Senator expressed concerned that all enquiries and appeals to PIL were greeted with empty and failed promises of new arrival dates, adding that four vessels, namely KOTA SALAM, KOTA SATRIA, KOTA SURIA, and KOTO SINGA all have their members’ cargoes aboard, and out of these four vessels, only KOTA SINGA and KOTA SATRIA arrived some weeks ago after about six and seven months respectively.

He also reminded the Senate that most of SEAMATA members’ cargoes aboard these vessels were funded with loans and overdrafts raised from banks with interests on them growing in geometrical progression, and that presently, some banks have placed the homes of some of these importers which they used as collateral for sale.

The Senator noted that the development is taking a huge toll on the health of these importers as most of them are now battling with severe depression, hypertension and other related illnesses, with their businesses dying gradually as a result of the ineptitude of PIL and other shipping lines.

Reacting to the Motion, the Senate resolved and mandated the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to investigate the activities of the shipping lines in the country especially PIL and report back in two weeks.

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