The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents has threatened to withdraw its services over the return of many government agencies sent out of the nation’s ports.
Its Publicity Secretary, Kayode Farinto, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Saturday.
NAN reports that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance, in October 2011 reduced the number of government agencies operating at the ports from 14 to six.
Farinto said: “We noticed also by virtue of last minute move that former Minister of Finance, Okonjo-Iweala, directed that some agencies should leave the ports, same agencies are now sneaking back to the ports.
“Now, they are even becoming a stumbling block to cargo clearance in the ports.
“We want to say that ANLCA will not be too happy about that.
“We want to maintain that all the agencies that are spelt out in that directive are still expected to be in the ports.
“These are the Nigeria Customs, NDLEA, (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency), Nigerian Police and SSS (Department of State Services).
“Any other agency that wants to go to the port needs to go and follow the due process.
“There is a caveat that if any controlled product is to be cleared, Nigeria Customs Service will invite the relevant agency.
“So, a situation where a security agency will now come back to the port to feather their nests, we would not tolerate it.
“We may even withdraw our services for that, if this thing is not addressed on time because we have received a lot of complaints from our members.”
Farinto also urged the Federal Government to stop the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency from writing the Nigeria Customs to enable it to examine cargo.
He said the agency should only write to customs whenever it had information on any particular ship suspected to have brought toxic waste into the country.
NAN.
