The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called on the Commissioner of Police, Western Ports Authority Police Command to investigate the Secretary, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tincan Island Chapter, Evang. Chuks Kanikwu following his call for the sack of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi.
Recall that the duo of Kanikwu Davies and Ghanny Adeola who are chapter executives at the Tincan Island and PTML Ports Complexes respectively had last weekend called for Abdullahi’s sack over the creation and operation of multiple Customs task forces at the ports.
They also alleged that the Customs boss had desecrated the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) by using junior officers to monitor the activities of senior officers.
In a press statement issued in Lagos, NAGAFF stated that the call for Kanikwu’s investigation by the Police became necessary as according to it, some of the issues he raised in the said interview he granted to a maritime industry based newspaper was capable of inciting violence against customs official.
“In all fairness, it is our considered opinion that Kanikwu and his likes in the freight forwarding profession must be called to order. The era of impunity is over and any attempt by anybody, no matter how highly placed, to truncate the existing peace and tranquility in the ports must not be treated with kid gloves. We at NAGAFF feel terrible that Kanikwu and his cohorts are raising false alarm in our international gate-ways. It is our belief that the Commissioner of Police (Ports) should investigate Kanikwu as some of the issues he raise in the said interview could incite violence against customs officials.
“We must state categorically that those like Kanikwu in our ports may have so much to hide and should be told that “it is no longer business as usual”. The idea of using blackmail as an instrument of coercion and intimidation of officers of the Service in the course of their legitimate duty is a thing of the past”, the release read in part.
NAGAFF recalled that the Customs boss, Alhaji Dikko had revolutionalized the Nigeria Customs Service especially in the areas of human capacity building, prompt promotion of officers and men of the Service, expansive housing and insurance welfare scheme and general trade facilitation. Moreso, freight forwarders, including Davies Kanikwu himself are equally beneficiaries of the various customs sponsored training and re-training in line with the emerging modern technology and international best practices in the maritime sector even as it said that it appeared that Kanikwu had a limited knowledge of the workings of the civil Service.
“Otherwise, he would have known that Alhaji Dikko is a career civil servant and not politician. Therefore, his exit from the service, all things being equal, is largely dependent on his attainment of 35 years of mandatory service or 60 years of age and/or as Mr. President may direct”.
The association however directed all its members to continue to be supportive and submissive to constituted authority adding,” we can only but advice members of our sister associations and in particular the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents to take to the path of peace and follow the ideals of their President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu who has come to salvage the association as a great leader. The records are open to the public that Prince Olayiwola Shittu saw and conquered to re-write the wrongs in the management and administration of ANLCA”.
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