… As Aviation Minister Cautions Clearing Agents Against Unruly Behaviour
Barely three weeks of crises that eventually resulted to the closure of the two cargo sheds, namely; Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport(MMIA), the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi on Wednesday, ordered that they should be reopened for business.
But, the casualty appeared to be the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Command, Mr Tajudeen Olarenwaju who have been removed and replaced with the Controller of the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) command, Mr Folorunsho Adegoke.
Adegoke it was gathered would be replaced by Mrs Tallatu Isa who headed the Lillypond Command of the Customs.
Abdullahi at a meeting held Wednesday with the Management of Federal Airport Authourity of Nigeria (FAAN), SAHCOL, NAHCOL as well as the association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and other stakeholders at the airport frowned at the clearing agents’ recent unruly behaviour to Comptroller Olarenwaju.
Olanrewaju’s redeployment was also announced at the meeting.
The Customs boss however said that stringent security measures must be maintained to ensure that only genuine licensed agents would be allowed entry into the terminal henceforth warning that any agentfound fomenting trouble would be arrested and prosecuted immediately.
Meanwhile leaders of all freight forwarding associations at the command were expected to meet with the new CAC Thursday to be briefed on the new modalities for operation at the command.
It was also gathered that prior to Abdullahi’s visit, the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka had on Tuesday warned that the Ministry would not tolerate any form of unruly behavior to any government agency by the agents at the nation’s airport.
The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, who was part of the team that received Abdullahi, assured that the clearing agents would work together with the management of the airport to weed out touts from the system.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Customs Service shut the cargo terminal on November 20 after hoodlums allegedly attacked the Area Controller.
