. Luxury Goods Agents Should Wait Until Lock Down Is Over
The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) Mr. Hassan Bello has decried the low compliance of freight forwarders and customs brokers to the Federal Government directive on the stay at home order.
Bello, while speaking during a stakeholder interactive session between the NSC, the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and other critical stakeholders in the Port over the weekend lamented that freight forwarders where not complying to the directives.
Stating that Freight Forwarders or Customs Agents who have no business in the Port presently should stay at home and take responsibility against eradicating the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Bello said that he was surprised by the number of vehicles he saw at Apapa, as it all looks as if there was no lock down.
The NSC boss urged the people to stay at home unless it is essential to come out.
He informed that the NSC will take stricter observation of people who come to the ports by the buses provided by the council.
While noting that the council has made modest contribution towards providing protective gears for the people in Apapa, he said the instruction have also been given to the terminal operators at the Ports, stating that all terminal users must be protected while maintaining personal hygiene and social distancing.
He said NSC will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the ports runs smoothly as possible but under the present circumstances.
Bello further noted that the present circumstances has thought the port industry a great lesson that there have to be electronics transaction at the ports with a functional national single window.
According to him " If you don't have business as a freight forwarder please don't come out stay in your house, we have to take responsibility.
"Today when I came to Apapa, I was surprised by the number of vehicles I have seen, it looks as if there is no lock down and that is terribly wrong. People must stay at home, that is the first thing unless it is essential, please don't venture to come out.
"We will have stricter observation by people who come by the buses provided by Shippers Council, and the buses were also suggested by association.
"We have made modest contribution towards providing protective gears, we have also told the terminals to do so.
"Everybody coming to the terminal must be protected, the issue of personal hygiene, social distancing that's what we are trying to do.
"It's important that contribution does not drop the ball in terms of responsibility of Shippers Council as the Port economic regulator in this very difficult time.
"We will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the ports runs smoothly as possible but under this circumstances that we found ourselves.
"So the lessons are we have learnt is that we must have electronics transaction for our ports, we have to have national single window, we need to have the truck driver maintain certain decorum in the way they transact.
"They need to practice those health guidelines, those health guidelines are our norms that needs to be obeyed strictly." he said.
On his part the Registrar of the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Barr Samuel Nwakohu noted that only freight forwarders who have essential goods to clear at the port would be allowed to clear goods while those with luxury goods will have to wait until the lock down is over.
He said he and the Executive Secretary of NSC will be meeting with the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) to ensure that goods that will be cleared will be only those who have essential goods, while stating emphatically that those who have luxury goods will have to wait until the shut down is over.
He noted that the primary aim of the government as it stands today is to look after the health of the people, which has prompted the decision of CRFFN to take all the necessary steps taken so far.
Nwakohu informed that there are presently six banks in operations for freight forwarders who needs to clear their essential goods.
In his words, "the primary aim of the government as it stands today is to look after our health, and that is why they have taking all the steps they have taken.
"It's not business as usual, I said to my freight forwarders, after today, the executive secretary and I will approach the customs, the goods that will be cleared will be only those who have essential goods, if you have luxury goods you will have to wait until the shut down is over.
"Let me also state that you cannot clear goods whether it is luxury items or essential items if the banks are not there to provide services.
"As at today we have six of them: Zenith Bank, UBA bank, First Bank, FCMB, GTB with the names of their staff so that you can call them" he said.
Speaking also the founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam also urged freight forwarders to stay at home except they have essential goods to clear at the Port.
He said the President directive is very straight and unambiguous, Corona Virus is a global issue, and lives are being lost even in most civilised country.
He urged freight forwarders not to cry more than the bereaved stating that the if the importers of the goods are at home with their families, then why should any freight forwarders put his life at risk to clear any cargo at the Port.
Aniebonam also urged the NSC boss to prevail on customs to overlook the process of Form 'M' and other processes until the lock down is over.
He advised that Customs should make use of the section 27 and 28 of the Customs law which allows for the bill of sight, as he said the process of getting goods out of the Port at this period of time is ambiguous.
"The process and procedures of getting goods outside the Port is ambiguous even though when we claim to be online I would advise that the customs should be reach as fast as possible to invoke section 27 and 28 of the customs law
"This section talks about the bill of sight, in otherwise under this emergency rule we will have to overlook the issue of Form M and all those processes. They should undertake the bill of sight then after this emergency situation, documentation can be regularised.
I want to advised the freight forwarders under my own chain that you don't cry more than the berieved, the principal are at home with their families then why should you put your life at risk" he, stated.
On his part, the President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA), Mr Tony Iju Nwabunike also urged customs agents who have no business to do at the Port to stay home with their families.
Nwabunike also urged the NSC boss to prevail on security officials who are molesting clearing agents who need to clear essential goods from the ports.
He said freight forwarders must be given adequate protection on the roads against abuse by security officials.
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