Licensed customs agents operating at the Tin Can Island Port have passed a vote of no confidence on the One-Stop-Shop centre created by the command's Nigeria Customs Service, saying that many agents are now diverting their cargoes to Apapa port.
The agents lamented that compared to Apapa customs command; the Tin Can command places the highest alert on duly cleared cargoes.
This is even as the customs command has defended itself saying that the law allows for different layers of checks and balances in order to track down non-compliant agents.
Former Chairman of International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA) at Tin Can port; Mr. Ojo Akintoye in a chat with Shipping Position Daily last week alleged that out of 1,000 ‘jobs’ cleared at the command, about 700 are placed on alert.
He also lamented the activities of the various customs units on strategic points very close to the port, stopping dully-cleared containers. These include; Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, Customs Strike Force and Customs Task Force.
He said "Tin Can is the worst, we have more than five different alerts in Tin Can, let me be quoted that the Customs One-stop-shop is not working, what we were told before Bumai, the team leader then left this place, is that after the place was built, it would be used for the purpose"
"But after completing the structure, it is used for something else, the only thing we have there now is compliance, there is another table called compliance table headed by an Assistant Comptroller"
"I don't know what we are not complying with, when the valuation is there, verification officers are there, we have the CIU people there. The complaints are being treated separately, and this is not what the CAC told us"
"As a result of alert, some importers are now leaving Tin Can Port for Apapa, at Apapa port, alerts are treated with urgency if at all it is placed on cargoes"
"Out of 1,000 jobs that are being captured in a day, in Apapa, you would probably have 100 alerts, but in Tin Can Port, you would have 700 of the jobs that would be placed on alert" he said
"The only thing that is still affecting Apapa now that it seems few people are still working at Tin Can Port is the road, I am sure by the time the road is completed and cargoes are transfered easily, you will see what would happen" he said
However, speaking with Shipping Position Daily, Public Relations Officer of Tin Can Command, Mr Uche Ejesieme debunked the claims by the agents.
He said the position of the command has always been on the need for compliance with the fiscal policies of the Federal Government in terms of trade.
He advised if any operative tries to frustrate the stakeholders, such issues should be brought to the Help Desk created by the command for onward escalation to the Customs Area Controller, Compt Musa Abdullahi.
He told our correspondent via text message that: "On the issue of Single Treatment Area, I will urge you to come next week, so we can see the facility and you judge for yourself .With regards to compliance office, their function is just to monitor compliance, meaning that compliant declarants are not supposed to panic"
"The law allows for different layers of checks and balances, such that if for whatever reason, you skip one ,other layers are there to track you".
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