Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdualhi Inde has berated government agencies that are making frantic efforts to come into the nation’s seaports, accusing them of deliberately creating bad image for the nation in the global trade.
The Customs boss made the observation in Abuja last week while delivering a keynote address at the Seminar organised by the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).
He specifically named the controversial NESREA and the Task Force on Importation of Small Arms and Ammunitions as the worst culprits. We are trying to reduce agencies in the ports, yet we you have some people who call themselves Task Force on small arms and now NESREA wants to blackmail Nigeria from facilitation, stopping ships from coming into Nigeria.
He attributed the urge by government agencies to come into the ports to lack of cooperation between licensed customs agents and Nigeria Customs Service and called for a new orientation among clearing agents.
He also seized the opportunity to preach a new orientation among licensed customs agents, even as he berated Nigerian for being selfish and having an unbridled appetite for amazing wealth at the expense of the nation’s economy.
“Why do we have FOU? because things are not done with integrity, why don’t freight forwarders embrace integrity, its’ always me first and not Nigeria first. How much are you going to have to be like Dangote for you to be satisfied, the issue is about contentment”, he lamented.
He equally acknowledged that the image of customs ad licensed customs agents is that of corruption. “Today, the perception about customs and clearing agents is that of corruption”, he confirmed.
Speaking in his short welcome address, ANLCA national president, Prince Olayiwola Shittu had advocated for indigenisation of customs clearing in Nigeria, saying that it is only in the country that foreigners are allowed and encouraged to perform the duty of a licensed customs agents.
He consequently called on the Ciuncil for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to look into the issue and make appropriate representation to the National Assembly to legislate it in the interest of Nigeria’s security and economy.
The seminar was attended by the minister of interior, Capt Emmanuel Ihenacho, a representative of the minister of transport, as well as leaders and members of the association from all its chapters and zones.
It was rounded –off with a national executive council meeting
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