Clearing agents, Customs others trade blames over cargo clearance

Clearing agents at the Lilypond Container Terminal on Wednesday attributed the delay in the clearing of goods at the terminal to Customs officers.
The clearing agents said this at a meeting between them, the customs personnel and Lilypond terminal operators in Lagos.
Prince Chuks Njemanze, Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Lilypond Command chapter, Ijora, Lagos State alleged that some customs officers deliberately delayed goods at the terminal.
Njemanze said that goods at times stayed at the terminal up to 24 hours, instead of 15 hours.
“We do not know if there are periods allotted to jobs because some officers treat their jobs based on personal relationship and not on merit,” he said.
Njemanze also said that clearing agents faced challenges before their trucks were allowed through the gates.
He urged the Area Customs Controller to solve the problem, to facilitate trade transactions.
On traffic, the ANLCA chairman urged the Lilypond police to urgently tackle rampant gridlock around the terminal axis.
He said that government agencies such as the Quarantine, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agents and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control still clustered around the terminal.
Njemanze urged the officials of the agencies to use the designated technology such as the portal to access the cargoes according to the Federal Government directive.
The area Comptroller, Talatu Isa, advised the clearing agents to produce the right document to avoid cargo delays.
Isa also said that the agents should go to the right customs section for classification of their goods, instead of being ignorant of the workings of the command.
John Akinditure, the Chief Security Guard, also said that some agents were responsible for the delay of their goods at the terminal.
Akinditure said that most clearing agents do not perfect the release of cargo before heading for the gate.
Victor Agu, the Divisional Police Officer, Lilypond, said the congestion at the terminal gate was caused by tanker drivers who plied the Ijora route, rather than taking the bridge.
Agu said that the area was controlled by a task force from the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Navy.