Customs Accuses ANLCA Members of Bribery, Corruption    

The Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone 'A' of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Mahmud Haruna has come hard on licenced customs agents, alleging that they are not compliant with extant laws and that they deliberately bribe customs officers to circumvent duty payment.
Compt. Mahmud stated this when the Western Zone Coordinator of ANLCA, Sir John Ofobike led all the western Zone Chapters Executives to pay a courtesy visit on the Comptroller at his Ikeja office yesterday.
The customs boss alleged that some licensed customs agents deliberately seek to enlist officers’ cooperation to short-change the government in the revenue collection process.
He pleaded that agents should desist from such acts, while also blaming his fellow officers for conniving with agents/importers to deprive government of revenue.
Mahmud warned that he would not spare any customs officer found compromising with the agents. He however promised that he will try wearing a human face in all his transactions with licensed Customs agents, but will not hesitate to show his other side, when he feels something is fishy.
Comptroller Haruna thanked all those on the  Sir Ofobike’s entourage for the visit, identifying some of them as having crossed each other’s path in the past especially at Idi Iroko Border and Tin Can Island Port commands.
Speaking earlier, the ANLCA Western Zone Coordinator, Sir Ofobike welcomed Comptroller Haruna who was the immediate past Comptroller, FOU Zone ‘C’  Owerri to Lagos and solicited his cooperation and that of his officers and men in the task of combating smuggling in the zone and blocking all revenue leakages.
Ofobike sought the understanding of FOU Zone ‘A’ officers to treat licensed customs agents with respect and above all, as partners in the revenue generation and collection efforts of the Nigeria customs service.
Meanwhile, ANLCA members have expressed anger at the allegations by the customs boss, saying that customs is the most corrupt and not agents.
According to a statement sent to Shipping Position Daily by Mr. Joe Sanni the Special Assistant on Media to the National President of ANLCA, most of the members were not happy with some of the statements of the customs boss at the meeting.
"After what he (Compt. Haruna) termed a “frank talk” between members of the same constituency, most members who itched to ask questions, could not because, we were running behind schedule for another meeting at the National Secretariat"
"However, some of the questions that popped up, as we all filed out for a group photograph were: Could Agents have been responsible for forcing Custom officers to accept money, when offered? Were Customs officers not being paid by the FGN to refuse such overtures?"
"Some other reactions came via ANLCA FORUM (our real-time WhatsApp platform) where members were livid with anger at the vituperations on the Agents by Compt. Haruna. Some asked aloud: why is the pot calling kettle black? Some even quoted the time tested cliché: “It takes two to tango”, he said.