…Decries harassment by hoodlums
…Calls on Customs CG, Tinubu to intervene
The National Compliance Joint Task Force of License Clearing Agents (NCJTFLCA) has expressed concerns over the repeated checks on containers cleared by Customs authorities at multiple points in Lagos, causing unnecessary delays for agents before reaching their final destination.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos yesterday, National President of NCJTFLCA, Dr Basil Nwolisa, worried that the incessant checks made it difficult to meet delivery targets, leading to significant financial losses.
Nwolisa said despite efforts by the Federal Government to ensure ease of doing business, the Customs authority continued in its practice.
He said: “The atrocities of men of the Federal Operating Unit (FOU) cannot be explained because it is a double standard.
“How can a senior officer of Customs release a consignment and then, just very close to the port, a low-ranking officer of FOU will apprehend the container and take it to their headquarters?”
He said that sometimes, a container was held for about three weeks or one month. “At the end of the day, the container would be seized. How can a senior officer release a consignment while a junior officer from FOU seized it outside the port?
“At times, they used to give us additional payment or seized the containers.”
The President recommended that senior customs officers who wrongly release a container should also face arrest if the container is later confiscated by a junior officer.
“If the container is wrongfully released, it is the official that should be arrested and questioned and made to pay for the short payment,” he said.
According to Nwolisa, the frustrating part was that containers already released and cleared by the Federal Operations Unit, on the way to Aba, Onitsha and Umuahia were still subjected to repeated checks by the Customs unit in the South-West.
”In most cases, nothing is wrong with your container but one rarely leaves the scene without parting with money after time wasting. Sometimes, it takes a whole month.” he said.
The National President of NCJTFLCA urged the authorities of the customs to call their men to order, explaining that their quest for personal gain was driving away investors, therefore portraying President Bola Tinubu’s administration in a bad light.
The association President called on the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Basir Adewale Adeniyi to work on the duplication of duties by his men to encourage trade facilitation and ease of doing business in the country.
The President also complained that duly checked containers were being blocked by hoodlums just a distance away from the Customs authorities at the ports.
“Hoodlums within Ojo communities working for their Baales used to surround our trucks when they are going to Lagos Trade Fair and Ojo Alaba International markets, demanding huge amounts of money from drivers before they could allow the trucks to leave the area.
“They used to attack the drivers and container owners with sticks, broken bottles and other dangerous weapons if they are not settled on time,” he said.
He called on the present administration to look into the matter of blockage of roads by hoodlums preventing them from moving to their destination.
The President also urged the Lagos state Commissioner of Police and Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety to partner with the Association to end the use of one-way on the highways in Lagos, considering the heavy presence of container-laden trucks on the roads.
“The use of one way by commercial motorcycle and some commercial buses should be stopped by the Nigeria Police and men of Federal Road Safety.
“This has resulted in a series of accidents on our highway, there should be sanity on our roads. The use of one way must be stopped,” he added.
