Even as the government had directed that the Nigeria Customs Service should not commence implementation of the new automotive policy until 1st of July 2014, licensed customs agents engaging in the business of clearing vehicles from the nations’ports have cried out and alleged that the customs is yet to revert fully to the old tariff.
Even as the government had directed that the Nigeria Customs Service should not commence implementation of the new automotive policy until 1st of July 2014, licensed customs agents engaging in the business of clearing vehicles from the nations’ports have cried out and alleged that the customs is yet to revert fully to the old tariff.
Some of the agents who took turn to speak with Shipping Position Daily at the PTML and the Tin Can Island Customs commands alleged that the directive to suspend the new tariff is not yet effective at the command, because customs officers still demand extra money, even after the 20% tariff has been paid in full.
The agents have however lampooned the leadership of their associations, especially the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) for allegedly compromising with the customs and the shipping companies to extort clearing agents.
A clearing agent, Mr. Livingstone Ndukwu told our correspondent at the PTML command that even though he had been given his value based on the old tariff by customs, the officers still demanded for another extra payment on the pretext that the additional payment originated from the headquarters in Abuja.
Another licensed customs agent, Olorogun Andrew Ugwi who recounted his ordeal to Shipping Position Daily alleged that agents have since on Monday this week been crying to their various associations’ leadership for redress, but lamented that the leadership had nothing to say about it.
Speaking with our correspondent at the ANLCA secretariat at PTML, Ugwi said, “they reverted the tariff but it is not effective, people have been crying into this secretariat because they were given value to go and pay, it is obnoxious, and when you finish paying, they tell you that it is not enough so they jerk it up again as if there is no real tariff for us to pay, they are not keeping it up”
“Custom reverted back tactically but they are still on it and they are frustrating the job, they have a way of confusing government by telling them to increase tariff to N1million, but they will come behind and tell the agent to pay N500, 000, just like what the people you just met here did, after paying the N500, 000, Custom will come back again and ask for N200, 000 and another N100, 000” he said.
According to him, ANLCA as an association that is supposed to correct the anomalies is not as powerful as it ought to be, he said that the association is irrelevant, because private pockets are allegedly being greased.
“The association has failed in many ways, first of all they came with biometrics, every agent here is biometrically registered, but the biometrics is nothing again because after ANLCA did their own, PTML came and nullified everything ANLCA has done, even some people that have done the biometrics did not get it and yet they have paid. My company; Assurance Nigeria Limited, only one person in that company got his own, when I went there to complain they searched but they did not see it”
Ugwi said that presently, the biometrics is useless because every agent is now using the terminal identity card to access the port.
In unison, the agents demanded an explanation from its National President; Prince Olayiwola Shittu to give a scorecard of his performance for the past four years in office.
“Let him come here and address the agents, let him come and hear whether he is doing well or not”
“They cannot defend us anymore, to the extent that agents feel that ANLCA is getting kick backs from shipping companies and from customs, but nobody can prove it so they are not talking about it, but the modes of operation dictates that suspicion”, he added.
However, when contacted for their side of the story, the image maker for PTML Customs command, Chief Superintendent of Customs; Steve Okonmah and his counterpart at the Tin Can Island command; Chief Superintendent of Customs; Chris Osunkwo dismissed the insinuations saying that the allegations by the agents are baseless.
On his part, Okonmah told our correspondent that the command has not received any complaints to this effect and that anyone with genuine fact should come forward with his case to be treated accordingly.
“We have reverted to the old tariff according to the directive of the government; anyone that feels otherwise should bring a case with their documents to us and see our reaction on it”, he stated.
Also speaking, the Tin Can command image maker, Osunkwo Chris said that “immediately the directive was passed, customs have reverted to the old the tariff”
Discussion about this post