It was near chaos yesterday at the Tin Can Island Port when the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Abdullahi Dikko who was on a three-day tour of customs formations in Lagos was ambushed by an angry mob of clearing agents inside the facilities of Ports and Cargo Handling Services at Tin Can port.
It was near chaos yesterday at the Tin Can Island Port when the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Abdullahi Dikko who was on a three-day tour of customs formations in Lagos was ambushed by an angry mob of clearing agents inside the facilities of Ports and Cargo Handling Services at Tin Can port.
The freight forwarders who were carrying various placards, drew the attention of the Customs boss and called for the removal of the Deputy Comptroller at Tin Can Customs Command; Mrs Jane Shoboiki for allegedly collecting bribes and frustrating the agents in the cargo clearance process.
It would be recalled that Mrs Shoboiki's problems started few months ago when she took armed military officers to the headquarters of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in search of the founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
But, yesterday, the clearing agents led by some of their chapter executives shouted on the top of their voices to call for the removal of the senior officer, they also carried placards which messages such as : "Shoboiki must go", "Remove DC Jane Shoboiki today" and so on.
The protesting agents also lamented that on account of the CGC's visit, all clearing activities were suspended for hours and agents were not allowed to carry their cargoes. This according to them will lead to demurrage.
However, while addressing the obviously angry agents, the Customs boss, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi assured that the allegations against the officer has been brought to him and that he will personally look into the matter.
"If you ask me to remove her now, who do you want to fill up the vacancy? There are channels through which you can forward your complaints, but be rest assured that I am going to look into this matter today" Dikko said.
Continuing, he assured the agents that the Nigerian customs will be taking over from the destination agents as from next year and that good tidings await them.
While speaking earlier during his visit to the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal as well as the Tin Can command, Dikko had stated that the Nigeria Customs is ready to take over its duties from the destination inspection agents by January next year, "anybody who tries to highjack our jobs are intruders and we will flush them out" he assured.
Discussion about this post