Oluyinka Onigbinde
Following the arrest of a clearing agent ; Mr Sunday Oyebola a Chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) over alleged involvement inthe importation of psychotropic drugs by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the weekend, the acting president of the association, Dr. Kayode Farinto has directed its members to ensure that their importers sign the indemnity form before deciding to clear such consignment for the importer.
Briefing newsmen on Tuesday regarding the recent arrest of its member, the acting president noted that the association has overtime urged her members to ensure that the indemnity form is signed before deciding to take up a consignment for clearance.
Farinto confirmed that the arrested agent is a member of ANLCA; this is even as he said the association will stand by him, even as he argued that the suspects is not the importer, but a clearing agent who was not aware of the psychotropic substances hidden in the consignment.
He further said against the erroneous report that Mr Oyetola is the importer of consignment; he said the name on the bill of laden clearly shows that the accused agent is not the importer of the consignment.
He disclosed that the association will be engaging the Canadian Ambassador as regards the importation of illicit drugs which he said are mostly from Canada. He explained that the association has already written to the Canadian embassy for a meeting with the economy attaché over the importation of psychotropic drugs from the country.
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According to him, “We called this press briefing to first of all correct the erroneous impression going round that ANLCA chieftain is involved in the clearance of illicit drugs and psychotropic substance and also reiterate all our efforts in the last few months to enlighten our members on the role to play particularly in the cost of cargo clearance.
“We are collaborating with NDLEA; it’s our responsibility. Otunba Sunday Oyebola is a high member of ANLCA; one of the chapter executive at PTML and he is involved in the clearing of a cargo; a container said to contain three vehicles and unfortunately at the point of examination, loud and some psychotropic substances were found in that container.
“Let me say this, Otunba Sunday Oyebola is just a clearing agent, he is not the importer of the consignment and he consignment was not consigned in his name.
“This issue is now being politicized, it is a national issue and we should have concern as regards the safety of our environment.
“In the last one year ,the level of psychotropic substances have been on the increase, you will recall that when we had our first NEC meeting this year, we advised our members to start giving their importers indemnity form and the second NEC meeting, we advised that members should protect themselves by making sure that the importer signs the indemnity form and go a step further by notarizing it. So if it is notarized, you would have been seen to have done due diligence, then such agent will be on the side of the law”.
The ANLCA acting President noted that, “if Otunba Sunday Oyebola has yielded to this advice, he would have been a friend to NDLEA now trying to assist them to unravel the importer.
“Also on the 21st of June, we were concerned about the fact that as an association what’s going to be our responsibility, how do we collaborate with NDLEA, in as much as you know that we are Ambassadors of NDLEA in ensuring that illicit drugs are not facilitated from the waterways.
“We put up a letter to Canadian Embassy requesting for working visit, the issue of illicit drugs and psychotropic substances from Canada that’s the title of the letter”.
Also speaking the National Secretary of the association Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila posited that the man in question is not a drug dealer as being reported but a mere freight forwarder who is a victim of job hazard.
He said it is very important that clearing agents do a ‘Know Your Customer’ of the importer which he said will help protect agents when the need arises.
He reiterated that Sunday Oyebola is not the importer of the consignment, but the clearing agent involved in the clearance of the goods which was found to have contained psychotropic substances.
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