Agents(ANLCA) yesterday denied receiving any money from the Comptroller General of Customs; Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde towards the acquisition of of its new national secretariat located in Amuwo Odofin, a Lagos suburb.
The property which was commissioned penultimate Friday and which was named after the Customs boss cost about N150Million.
Since the commissioning, tongues have been wagging about the source of the huge funds, part of which was alleged to have been provided by the Customs boss.
Agents(ANLCA) yesterday denied receiving any money from the Comptroller General of Customs; Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde towards the acquisition of of its new national secretariat located in Amuwo Odofin, a Lagos suburb.
The property which was commissioned penultimate Friday and which was named after the Customs boss cost about N150Million.
Since the commissioning, tongues have been wagging about the source of the huge funds, part of which was alleged to have been provided by the Customs boss.
Naming the secretariat after Dikko and his alleged contribution has been trending since Monday when the Vice Chairman of the association’s board of trustees (BoT); Aare Sanni Shittu dissociated the board from how the decision to name the building after the Customs boss was taken.
He had told Shipping Position Daily in an exclusive interview that the BoT was not part of the decision, even as he stated categorically that the decision not to involve the board members may have been as a result of an internal dispute between the board and the national executive committee of the association.
Also, another association; the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF ) reportedly called its leaders to question over the one-sided relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the freight forwarding associations.
The NAGAFF was reported to have alleged that the relationship was skewed in favour of ANLCA.
And apparently uncomfortable with the insinuations and allegations, ANLCA yesterday, via a press statement exonerated the Customs CG from any financial contributions to the building.
In a two-page statement signed by its national secretary, the association said contributions for the building came from its ‘friends and friends of the Customs CG’.
In the statement, a copy of which was sent to Shipping Position Daily, ANLCA said: “Some highly placed individuals in the oil and gas industry, including the clients of our National President and chairman BoT, who believed in this lofty dream offered to bank-roll the acquisition of the secretariat , but would rather want to remain anonymous to avoid the ugly trend of blackmail, rumors and untruth which is presently trending…..”.
According to the association, “among this individuals were a group of friends of the Comptroller General of Customs, who also desire to remain anonymous, but wish to identify with the reforms the Nigeria Customs Service and Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) are doing for the national economy and thereby contributed immensely towards this project”.
The association added that, contributions also came from all its chapters, as well as its members and staff.
Justifying naming the building after Dikko, ANLCA said its action was premised on the Customs CGs achievements, which it identified as transforming the Customs, introducing home grown clearing process and support for the association, among others.
Discussion about this post