ANLCA President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Wednesday raised the alarm that a new wave of resistant-corruption has swooped on the nation’s maritime industry and which if not timely controlled by Government, would damage international trade, particularly cargo facilitation beyond any repair.
In a message made available to the us, captioned “State of the Nation”, the body also lamented how some Government agencies had developed, shared and perfected their port folios like fiefdom, for the purpose of extortion, with the Nigerian Police, taking the lead, followed by the Standard Organization of Nigeria; while the Nigeria Customs Service which should protect the stakeholders as terrain-authorising generals was also subtly, seemingly encouraging it.
Analysing the industry as being absolutely and ‘fantastically’ corruption ridden, despite the bold anti-corruption stance of the President Muhammadu Buhari regime, the body warned that if the Government fails to timely intervene, the ANLCA would be forced to withhold their services, as a ‘self-protection’ measure; because their members are now cleverly and continuously extorted by a system which sees the Nigeria Police alone dividing into six parts; namely the Maritime Police Command, Ports Criminal and Intelligence police (PCIP), the X-Squared of NPF; the SFU; the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit and the Area ‘B’ Police Apapa.
“We were delighted when the current Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Rtd. Hammed Ali was appointed, thinking that the level of corruption and extortion of our members, if not stopped, will be reduced to its nearest minimum. It is however saddening to see that there is “NO EUREKA”. In the last eight months, our members are extorted at will; and when agents complained there has not been any intervention, or correction (only) cases of setting of scape goats by the management of Nigeria customs!” the umbrella body of freight forwarders and Customs brokers cried out.
“Agents, unlike before now, cannot state precisely how much they can use to clear cargoes from the ports, because of preponderance rate of extortion and interventions by various units of Customs viz-a-viz valuation, query and amendments’, CIU etc that raises unnecessary queries and alerts, many of which are frivolous. The rate of extortion at each stage of this intervention cannot be overlooked”, the body stated in a 10-paragraph statement signed by ANLCA’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Farinto Kayode, looking back at PAAR, with nostalgia.
“The Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR), which was a good innovation by the last administration of Nigeria Customs Service, has been bastardized. We now have situation where more than one PAAR are issued on one consignment. The service now ignores the initial PAAR obtained by the consignee/agents and issues another and another one which values has been arbitrarily jacked up. We want to believe that this method is being resorted to by the service to generate more revenue to the government coffers through another means (i.e ‘arm twisting’ Nigerian importers). We have too many issues to contend with, in the course of cargo clearance which are unorthodox and non-procedural”, the body stated, before zeroing on other security agencies.
“The last administration has succeeded in pruning down the number of security agencies in our ports but recently there has been a ministerial directive that brought back quarantine into the ports to be involved in exportation documentation only. Surprisingly, quarantine now stops release of import consignment under the pretext, that, the means of package of the contents (palletized consignments) need to be examined. Our members are now coerced to make payment to this agency before their cargoes are release.
“The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) may be taking Nigerian back to import permit era and unfortunately, the Federal Ministry of Finance saddled with the responsibility of controlling imports procedure looks the other way at the detriment of Nigeria importers. We now have a situation where most of the agencies now turning themselves into revenue generating agencies S.O.N that is supposed to control quality of imports on regulated item has jettison this for money that accrues to her. Nigerian importers now find it difficult to open form M, of regulated items due to bureaucracies and impediments cause by this agency. The trade portal that was created to warehouse all important agencies and make documentations of imports a “one stop shop” has been monopolized by S.O.N.
“The last G I B reports and federal ministry of finance directives gives Nigerian Police an observer status at the “EXAMINATION BAY”. Despite this, agents still involve them during cargo clearance to the extent that they sign examination form in some terminals; the modus operandi of Nigerian Police lately is a cause for concern. We now have situation where different departments of police writes to stop the release of cargoes, under the pretext that, they are investigating cases of stealing, falsification, false declaration and forgery etc. The under listed police units/departments write to shipping agents and terminals operators that consignment should not be released for the consignee/agent. These are 1. The Maritime Police Command, 2.The Ports Criminal and Intelligence police (PCIP); 3.The X-Squared of NPF; 4. SFU; 5.Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit and 6. Area B Police, Apapa.
“The unfortunate part of this is that our members are extorted and are force to part with money before another letters of release to the various terminals are written.This has become a disturbing scenario because we have written series of letters to the office of the Inspector General of Police and up till now, nothing has being done about it.
“We have however notice a recent dangerous trend where one Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) from PCIP has been insisting that agents should reposition containers that have been “JOINTLY EXAMINED” and released by the Nigeria Custom Service, for him to re-examine such containers. We have demanded where such officer has derived such power from. And each time he disrupts the free flow of cargo clearance, agents are compelled to part with money and pay demurrages for this misdemeanour.
“In conclusion, in order for all of us to imbibe the spirit of ZERO TOLERANCE to corruption as espouse by President BUHARI, the Commander-in-Chief, that it is surprising that those that are supposed to enforce the law are the beneficiary of the corrupt tendencies.
“In view of all the above we want to inform the general public that ANCLA MAY SEEK “SELF HELP”. By withdrawing our service from the ports until all the above listed anomalies are corrected”, the body concluded displaying two of such letters written by the Police.
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