Member, Board of Trustees (BOT) and presidential aspirant in the coming elections of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Tony Iju Nwabunike has said that the association would engage the National Assembly to reverse the ban on importation of vehicles and rice through the land borders.
Nwabunike stated this during his recent campaign at the Seme border, even as he assured that activities would soon boom at both Seme and Idiroko borders.
Accompanied by his team, comprising of National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Kayode Farinto who is gunning for Vice President, Babatunde Mukaila aspiring for Secretary General, Bola Muse, Financial Secretary, Dr. Okpara Ogu among others, Nwabunike promised to bring back the jobs for clearing agents and restore Seme and Idiroko border to their glorios days as vibrant gateways to the nation.
He queried the rationale behind the Federal Government banning importation of vehicles through the land borders, saying that clearing agents and importers are willing to pay correct duty to pick up their vehicles.
Nwabunike commended the current President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu over his administrative style; he however said his own administration would focus more on changing government's policies.
Speaking during his visit to the Customs Area Controller of Seme command of Nigeria Customs, Nwabunike said the National Assembly is not aware of the challenges at the border.
"We are going to make sure that Seme comes back to its glorious days; increasing revenue, blocking loopholes so that we can all make things work. We would go forward to liberalise the place.
"I don't know why vehicles should not be allowed to come through the border if the actual duty is going to be paid, government does not have any reason to stop vehicles from coming here, as long as they are allowed to come through the seaport"
"Today, no cars or rice is coming from the border, so what do they want us to be doing at Seme, we have to bring back our jobs. We are going to do this through the legislative", he noted.
He also lamented that non-Nigerians are allowed to clear cargo in Nigeria. "Benenoise, Lebanese, Chinese are doing our work (clearing), the government has not taken a decision on what foreigners can do and not do", he said.
In his reaction to reports on how Benin Republic customs was maltreating Nigerian importers, customs and agents, he said, when voted for, his team would address the challenges.
"These are the things that prompted me and my group to move and make sure we withdraw all these things from the hands of our enemies. When somebody that is supposed to be my little partner now begins to see me as a very younger brother whom he can deal with, I have zero tolerance to such"
"Everything that happens at Seme we get to know about it, but we are going to take it further, most of our national assembly members don't know what we are going through"
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