The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has petitioned the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dr. Dikko Inde Abdullahi over the alleged restriction of its members from attending the recently concluded training on Modern Customs Clearing Procedure for stakeholder organized by the Apapa Command of the Service in Lagos.
In a three paged letter addressed to the Comptroller General, the Secretary General of the association, Hon. Increase Uche described the training as good intentioned but berated the the way and manner that only the agencies whose licenses issued to them by the Nigeria Customs Service were up to date were eligible for attending the training programme.
Hon. Uche in reference to an invitation letter issued to the Chapter Chairman of NAGAFF in Apapa and dated 1st of August, 2014 expressed shock that such an invitation letter which was supposed to be for all the stakeholders ended up with a restriction note which according to him defeated the purpose and spirit of the training.
He reminded the Comptroller General that the word stakeholders abhorred restriction of freight forwarders from customs project because of the strategic nature of the practitioners in the international trade and customs administration.
The NAGAFF Scribe warned that the ongoing transformation programme of the service may be delayed if the Nigeria Customs Management did not incorporate the relevant of Act 16 of 2007 establishing the business of freight forwarding in its operations.
He said,” a close observation of the letter with reference No. NCS/APQ/AA/041/S.7/Vol.111/04 dated 1st of August, 2014 addressed to Chapter Chairman, NAGAFF with office address 2A Maybin Road (GRA), Apapa-Lagos speaks volume of our interests and observations”.
“it is very surprising that the said letter with caption- Training on Modern Customs clearing Procedure for Stakeholders ended up with a restriction note. The word stakeholder abhors restriction of freight forwarders from the customs project because of the strategic nature of the practitioners in our international trade and customs administration”.
“It is shocking to note that the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs in its deliberate effort to advance customs clearing procedures restricted freight forwarders good intentions. It is therefore inappropriate to assert that only agencies whose licenses issued by the Nigeria Customs Service which are up to date are eligible for the training programme”.
He therefore called on the Management of the Nigeria Customs Service to set up a Joint Technical Committee of freight forwarders operating under Act 16 of 2007 led by NAGAFF and Licensed Customs Agents operating under CEMA and led by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to harmonize the relevance of the two legislative instruments of the National Assembly which guided customs administration and freight forwarding profession in the country.
Hon. Uche further suggested that a draft copy of the Memorandum of Understanding be produced by a small technical committee to be chaired by the Nigeria Customs Service,Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) serving as Secretary while NAGAFF and ANLCA would serve as members of the committee.
He added that a public hearing of the stakeholders could be organized to reach a consensus to ascertain the relevance or otherwise of the two legislative instruments saying that that could be a way of ensuring a successful customs reforms and best practice in freight forwarding profession.
“The CGC Sir, our founder, Dr. B. O Aniebonam who had a sting with customs strongly recommends that DCG Adewuyi may be given the Chairmanship of the technical session because of his indepth knowledge in shipping, customs administration and frei8ght forwarding profession”, he stated.
