The Acting
National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA )
Dr. Kayode Farinto has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of
urgency declare a state of emergency in the maritime sector or suspend the Ease
of Doing Business policy of the government.
Farinto in a statement at the weekend, said many factors including dilapidated infrastructures,
and the extortion of agents by the Nigeria Customs Service warranted the
association’s call for emergency status on the presidential order.
He said the
problem has been due to: “Recent developments in the sea ports and
land borders, vis-a -vis dilapidated infrastructures in the ports like roads,
non-existence of multimodal transport and the multiple checking points by the
Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and various extortion by the maritime police
, other government agencies not complying with Executive Order.
with the inconsistency of FG policy and implementation, coupled with the fact
that shipping companies and terminal operators have refused to implement
the federal government’s ease of doing business order on ease of doing business,
it would be very difficult for Nigeria as a country to get it right.
problem has been due to: “Recent developments in the sea ports and
land borders, vis-a -vis dilapidated infrastructures in the ports like roads,
non-existence of multimodal transport and the multiple checking points by the
Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and various extortion by the maritime police
, other government agencies not complying with Executive Order.
“Failure of NCS to conform to the implementation of ease of doing
business, double examination on containers, extortion of ANCLA members, Customs
release and arrest and re-arrest of containers and above all, activities of FOU
to query consignments based on low cargo and low value.”
with the inconsistency of FG policy and implementation, coupled with the fact
that shipping companies and terminal operators have refused to implement
the federal government’s ease of doing business order on ease of doing business,
it would be very difficult for Nigeria as a country to get it right.
While lamenting the problems of extortion by the Customs and maritime police on
his members in the maritime sector,
Farinto said: “The Controller General of Nigerian Customs Service,
Hameed Ali is not bigger than Nigeria, he can not continue to flout the
Executive Order and actions is yet to be taken.
“The Inspector
General of Police should come to the port and see how the maritime police has
left their statutory functions and now obtain manifest from shipping companies
and be stopping containers and call agents for settlement in which one hundred
and fifty thousand is being paid per container.
General of Police should come to the port and see how the maritime police has
left their statutory functions and now obtain manifest from shipping companies
and be stopping containers and call agents for settlement in which one hundred
and fifty thousand is being paid per container.
“We hereby call for state of Emergency or better suspend Ease of
Doing Business in the maritime sector, because it is not working.
“Ministries, Directorate
and Agencies (MDA’s) behave to be bigger than the Federal Government, they are
working for and also flouting orders given by Nigerian Ports Authority
with impunity and no sanctions meted to them.
and Agencies (MDA’s) behave to be bigger than the Federal Government, they are
working for and also flouting orders given by Nigerian Ports Authority
with impunity and no sanctions meted to them.
“Are they now
bigger than the country? he asked rhetorically, and continued that “we don’t need to pretend that there is
total systems collapse in the maritime industry. Hence the FG should stop deceiving
Nigerians and stop shouting about ease of doing business, because it has been
abused.”
bigger than the country? he asked rhetorically, and continued that “we don’t need to pretend that there is
total systems collapse in the maritime industry. Hence the FG should stop deceiving
Nigerians and stop shouting about ease of doing business, because it has been
abused.”
