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NAGAFF, NANS may collaborate in agitation for individual licensing of customs brokers

 

NAGAFF Team at a proposed project site


The National
Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Thursday took
the agitation for individual licensing of customs brokers by the Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) to higher level by calling on the leadership of the National
Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to be part of the struggle.

The
Customs Excise and Management Act (CEMA) only recognizes of corporate
organizations as customs agents or brokers instead of individuals.

But
leaders of NAGAFF have in the past few years been agitating for individual
licensing, arguing that corporate licensing has failed the Customs as it was
responsible for the fraudulent practices involving holders of such licences.

The
founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam called on the leadership of NANS to
collaborate with NAGAFF in the struggle to get the Customs to allow licensing
of legible individuals get such licences.

Aniebonam
told the students who had come to confer an award to the President of NAGAFF,
Dr, Eugene Nweke, as ‘Commander of Nigerian Students ‘ that individual
licensing would open up employment opportunities to fresh Nigerian youths who
have graduated and languishing without jobs.

He
said NAGAFF and NANS can seek the amendment of the Customs Act that limits
licensing of customs brokers or freight forwarders to corporate bodies.

The
Vice Chairman of the NANS, Mr Segun Okeowo Kayode  Jnr who led a delegation of other leaders for
the presentation of the award at NAGAFF headquarters, Apapa, Lagos, promised to
table the matter before the national executive meeting for deliberation.

Aniebonam
said that the current licensing regime does not only encourage fraudulent
practices, but also encourages foreigners who have taken over the job from
Nigerians.

When
more individuals are licensed, he said, it will create more jobs for the youths
who have left school without hope of getting employment.

However,
the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) had recently told
the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) during a
stakeholders’ meeting in Apapa not to allow individual licensing of customs
brokers in the country.

However,
in presenting the award to Dr, Nweke, Okeowo urged the NAGAFF President not to
derail in his good works for Nigeria and the masses.

According
to him, NANS attaches so much importance to the qualities of the NAGAFF
President which according to him were the reason for the honour.

He
said that the association will also recommend Nweke to the federal government
for national honour, adding that the NAGAFF president has proved himself to be
a young professional of integrity.

In
his acceptance speech, Nweke, who commended the leadership of NANS for the
honour dedicated the award to NAGGAFF.

Nweke
said that NAGAFF has been involved in training of freight forwarders to put
them on the right footing as far as professionalism is concerned.

Nweke
who also runs a primary school in Lagos, said he has given 40 of them
scholarships as his contribution to human capacity development in the country.

Many of the children, he said, have since entered universities for various
courses.
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