Contrary to an earlier impression that, only members the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) were invited to a scheduled training programme for licensed customs agents, it has been confirmed that all freight forwarding associations were invited.
The programme is being put together by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Contrary to an earlier impression that, only members the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) were invited to a scheduled training programme for licensed customs agents, it has been confirmed that all freight forwarding associations were invited.
The programme is being put together by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Our correspondent indeed sighted a copy of the letter of invitation that was sent to the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) last week, even though it could not be ascertained whether the same invitation was sent to three other associations, namely: the National Council of Managing Directors of License Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFFN) and the NAFFAC.
Shipping Position Daily had reported last week that, the Nigeria Customs Service is set to commence the training of members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA), a development which immediately drew angry reaction from other associations.
The training is expected to kicks-off this week and the certificate issued at the end of the training is reportedly to serve as one of the requisites for the renewing of practicing licenses.
Immediately the development was published by Shipping Position Daily last week the President Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFFN) Dr. Frank Ukor accused the Customs Comptroller General of deliberately trying to sabotage other associations, in preference for ANLCA.
Ukor said that AREFFN also has members who operate with customs licenses that could benefit from the training, but the association was never contacted.
Speaking further on the issue, he said, "you know what Dikko (Customs CG) has been doing, he has been against us because we tell him the truth"
"We have members with licenses that we can send to the training, but he doesn't want us, but don't worry, the government wants us".
Also speaking with our correspondent via telephone last week on the same issue, the National Secretary of NAGAFF; Mr. Increase Uche said that it will be a big mistake on the part of customs if it chooses to train only ANLCA members.
According to him, NAGAFF members also own and control licenses and that Customs should have made the programme more holistic.
"I don't know the basis for the training, as a NAGAFF member I am also licensed, I think this should be done holistically and it will be a mistake on the part of customs if it decides to do only ANLCA" Uche stated.
But, our correspondent can confirm that, NAGAFF was indeed invited. A copy of the invitation was made available to our correspondent last week.
However, the invitation only coffers practitioners with valid custom license.
Shipping Position Daily also gathered that customs will use the certificate obtained from the training to issue passwords to agents who are chief executive officers of their registered companies. The programme seeks to place the liability about each license at the door steps of the owners, especially as it concerns hacking of passwords.
The national President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola had last week also said that, “ANLCA is the only private place where they are going to handle this training, and we have been working closely with the consultants for the past three months, they already have a list of all our members who are licensed".
"Those who are licensed but are not members of ANLCA will have to wait until we have gotten our own password, this is the advantage of being a member of ANLCA", Shittu had boasted.
Discussion about this post