By Joshua Yousouph
Following the re-constitution of its100% Compliance Task Team, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has vowed to expose illegal and corrupt activities of practitioners as well as government officials at the ports.
Recall that last week, the National President of NAGAFF, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi reconstituted the Compliance Team, where he stated that the mandate of the body is to check corruption at the ports by ensuring that ideal customs and trade procedures are practiced at the port terminals, border stations and bonded facilities across Nigeria.
He also noted that the primary aim for the reconstitution is to achieve a strong synergy between the National and Chapter chairmen to work together as a family.
To this effect, the National Coordinator of the Compliance Team, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko has appointed the former Vice Chairman, Tincan Island Chapter of NAGAFF, Mr Stanley Ejiogu as the Head of Operations of the Team.
Alhaji Tanko who announced this during the inaugural meeting of the new Team at its secretariat in Lagos, said the appointment has become necessary inorder to commence execution of planned actions.
He stated that the Compliance Team members are now ready to work and solicited for the cooperation and understanding of chapter chairmen of NAGAFF in the discharge of their duties in the interest of the freight forwarders, NAGAFF and other stakeholders in the industry.
Tanko said it would no longer be business as usual , adding that his team would create relationship with the security agencies in the industry such as the Police, EFCC, and the ICPC, in order to ensure total compliance to trade rules. He also assured that undue delay of cargos at the ports, demurrages, multiple alerts, over charges would be a thing of the past.
The 100% Compliance Team head however urged his team to be committed to duty and ensure they display honesty and transparency in carrying out their task to fulfill their mandate.
In his words: “We are not here to witch- hunt anybody. Let them not see us as enemies. We are partners in progress and from one big family, NAGAFF. We will work with security agencies such as EFCC, ICPC and we have had meetings with them. We have an understanding with them and they are ready to work with us . In fact, we will even have training with them on how to get facts and figures. So we are ready to work now and anybody who thinks he is a god , we are going to tell him, he is not god.”
“A lot of things are going wrong. Everybody is doing what they like. Talk of Customs, Shipping companies, Terminal Operators, Bonded Terminals, even the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is even the worst. People that are supposed to help us are not helping us. I am back to ensure that people do the right thing.
“The bonded terminals have increased their transfer charges without consulting anybody, while Shippers Council management is there watching them without saying a word. So, there are lots of issues” Tanko said.
Also speaking, the Coirdinator of Compliance Team ,Western Zone, Dr. Fred Ajuzie emphasised the need for seriousness, commitment and dedication by the members to the actualisation of their set targets.
He urged the team members to emulate the exemplary footsteps of the National Coordinator of the team, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko by going extra miles in their assignments to achieve results.
In his acceptance speech, the newly appointed Head of Operations of the 100% Compliance Team, Mr Stanley Ejiogu described his new position as a herculean task, but pledged to live up to expectation.
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