Sequel to stakeholders’ condemnation of the Customs and Excise Management Act [CEMA] bill currently being debated at the upper chambers of the National Assembly, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders [NAGAFF] has thrown it weight behind the draft bill saying that it is laudable and appreciated.
Sequel to stakeholders’ condemnation of the Customs and Excise Management Act [CEMA] bill currently being debated at the upper chambers of the National Assembly, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders [NAGAFF] has thrown it weight behind the draft bill saying that it is laudable and appreciated.
At a press conference held in Lagos yesterday, founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam stated that the draft bill has no intention of eroding the powers of the President of the country and that of the Minister of Finance, even as he called on stakeholders in the maritime industry to have an open mind in ensuring that the ports operate seamlessly.
According to him, the bill before the Senate was not the brain child of the Nigeria Customs Service adding that it is not an executive.
The NAGAFF founder stressed that the draft bill if passed tends to give the Customs the legitimate instruction to perform better; pointing out that Customs formalities do not duplicate or override the statutory functions of other agencies in port operation.
Aniebonam also described some of the government agencies and other key stakeholders’ opposition to the bill as blackmail, even as he said that proposed bill will only grant partial autonomy to the customs.
The association’s position is however a marked departure from its submissions at the stakeholders’ meetings which it had attended twice.
At the inaugural meeting which held on December 20, 2012, the association which was represented by Dr Aniebonam and deputy national president; Barrister Fred Akokhia threw its weight behind the initiative.
At the December 20, 2012 parley, Barrister Akokhia lauded the organizers for being proactive on critical issues as they affect the maritime industry.
Akokhia had reiterated that the maritime industry serves as a means of livelihood to stakeholders therefore it must not be ambushed by the Customs and called on everyone to contribute their own quota in ensuring that the bill is not passed by the senate.
According to him the bill was put together illegally, adding that the drafter to the bill has hidden agenda.
‘’We live in a society where certain people want to create favour for themselves ‘’. ‘’The Customs Excise and Management Act is the operational fiscal document of the government and it is the head of the government that the customs is saying that they do not have power to do certain things and putting it to someone who was appointed by the president of the country?, pointed out.
This position was also supported by Dr Aniebonam, who called on stakeholders to be united in the quest to critically appraise the CEMA Bill.
Also, at the January 11, 2013 meeting, Dr Aniebonam repeated NAGAFF’s support for the initiative and called for unity among those who are pushing the awareness.
But, yesterday, the NAGAFF founder made a u-turn and endorsed the controversial Bill, even as he picked holes in the alarm that the bill impugns on the powers of the minister of finance.
‘’The power that the minister wields are delegated powers derivable from the constitutional provision and delegated powers are not abdicated powers. For anyone to insinuate that the power of Mr. President will be eroded by some amendment as envisaged by the CEMA bill before the National Assembly is not only illogical but downright uninformed thus the constitution is supreme and it is the ground- norm of the country.
‘’The honourable minister of finance is still the chairperson of the board of customs in the draft bill .Therefore is it very surprising and mischievous for people to insinuate that the new customs draft bill seeks to diminish the power of the president and that of the Minister of finance’’.
‘’The most embarrassing thing is that is the seeming conspiracy of some government agencies to collaborate with some organized and informal sector group to work against public interest because any attempt to truncate the ongoing amendment process is nothing but great disservice to Nigeria and Nigerians’’.
He also said that the proposed bill is aimed at providing an opportunity for the government to realize customs roles in transforming the Nigerian ports and the country in general.
He however added that members of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria [CRFFN] should be called to be part of the customs board.
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