Frontline licensed customs agent and chairman of the Tin Can Island Port chapter of the Association of Nigerian License Customs Agent (ANLCA) Mr. Farinto Kayode, has alleged that his life is being threatened by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde.
Farinto who spoke exclusively with Shipping Position Weekly last week disclosed that then threat arose on account of the recent protests by members of his association at three of its chapters namely; Tin Can chapter, Apapa Chapter and PTML chapter.
According to him, since the protest which was carried out when members of the House of Representatives committee on Customs visited the ports recently, he has been receiving threat telephone calls and warnings from some quarters.
Clearing agents had few weeks ago carried placards at the various chapters of the association in Lagos ports to protest alleged in-human treatment which they claimed that men of the customs service have been dolling out to them.
However, Farinto disclosed that on account of this action, he received a call from someone who claimed to be from the office of Comptroller General of Customs warning of an imminent attack.
He said “there is need for me to let Nigerians know that my life is being threatened, this call actually came at about four o’clock in the morning from the CG’s office himself, someone who actually eavesdropped on the call called me and said I should be very careful and that the CG has threatened to jail me, that I should be dealt with and that they are monitoring my job” he said.
Farinto said he will not be cowed into giving up fighting for the right of his members even as he stressed that one of his election campaign promises was to ensure that his members’ rights are not trampled upon.
“One of their rights that is about to be trampled upon is through the excesses of the men of the FOU and the CG squad and that is why we carried the placard for the House committee to assist us on the issue”.
Speaking further he said “I don’t want to believe it, but because the call actually came from the CG’s office, I believe that in every rumour, there is an iota of truth and that is why I am calling on Nigerians to tell them that my life is being threatened”.
He reiterated the rationale behind the protest embarked on by his members saying that “our grievances are the excesses of the men of the CG squad and the FOU on the road, the way they extort our members, when cargo is being released from the port having satisfied all righteousness, low-ranking officers, de-ranked and frustrated officers still accost our members and collect money from them” he lamented.
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