The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has faulted the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero over a statement credited to him where he disagreed with the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi over responsibility to repair port access roads.
In a press release signed by the Head, Anti-Corruption and Technical Committee of NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche and made available to Primetime Reporters, NAGAFF stated that Mr. Amiwero’s argument that it was the responsibility of NPA to repair Ports access roads, and that the approach to the ports was the road linkages was baseless and a total misinformation.
NAGAFF maintained that he has completely exposed his ignorance by diving into a subject he did not possess the slightest modicum of knowledge.
“Section 127 of the NPA act clearly defines approach to mean any navigable channel declared to be an approach to a port as contained in section 30 of the same Act. Contrary to Mr. Amiwero’s understanding, approach in shipping terms has nothing to do with road linkages to the ports, but only openings connecting to the sea leading to the ports for ocean going vessels. This is part of the technical services provided by the hydrographic section of NPA in regulating and maintaining the harbor and approaches. The Channel approach management of the NPA is divided into two the Lagos and the Bonny. Likewise the traffic mentioned in the Section has to do with vessel traffic and not trucks. Inland
Transport matters are entirely different issues and do not conflict in any way with the reference made by Mr. Amiwero.
“The definition of access roads to the port in this context is ambiguous. Access road could be easily ascertained where a port city exists, but in the case of Nigeria it is a different thing all together”, the association said.
It maintained that Mr. Amiwero should be informed that the membership of the Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) was based on the existing register of Freight forwarders adding that he needed to be informed that incorrigible people like him don’t not have the locus standi to discuss or raise issues concerning the Council as he was not a Freight forwarder.
“Reliable information reaching us indicates that the seeming reason he is shying away from registering with the Council is because of his limited knowledge and scope of who a freight forwarder is.
“We are still wondering what could be the reason behind addressing a letter meant for the Hon. Minister of Finance to the Comptroller of Customs, Apapa Port other than seeking pecuniary favour, or what is now known as “stomach infrastructure”. However what we must advise Mr. Lucky Amiwero and his clients in our sister association is that they should excuse Nigeria Customs Service from associations’ politics. The Customs law does not deal nor recognize Freight Forwarding/Licensed Customs Agents/Customs Brokerage Associations in its management and administration.
“The big story is that it is apparently clear that the present leadership of the Nigeria Customs may have distanced itself from associations’ politics. If tomorrow NAGAFF succeeds in building a National Secretariat, it shall be named after our own rather than being sycophantic. It is most unfortunate that some of our sister associations have lost self pride and dignity because of corruption. To put it straight they are now beggarly and behaving as second hand citizens of Nigeria. Any stakeholder who wants to be a friend of the Customs Service must be a genuine importer, exporter, excise trader, ship chandler, terminal or bonded warehouse operator who is compliant and obedient to Customs laws. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable and or at best such a person or group of persons could be regarded as smugglers”, NAGAFF said.
The association observed that it was now a ritual on the part of Mr. Lucky Amiwero as a “whistle blower” on port matters to mislead unsuspecting stakeholders and the media saying that the issue of registration and standardization of trucks in the Nigerian Ports was equally a case in point.
It continued,” Mr. Lucky Amiwero in a press release said, “NPA should do the needful by repairing all the access roads to the ports” and as well stop what he called the duplication of collection of the vehicle entry permit which he claimed have been paid to the terminal operators who had taken over cargo operation from NPA. We do believe that the reading public has noted the definition of approach road to the ports and of course the issue of double collection of entry permit as claimed by Mr. Lucky Amiwero is baseless. It is on record that the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority had since also explained what access road to the ports etc is all about.
NAGAFF therefore made a declaration that the factional President of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero should be disregarded in his uninformed postulations on port matters.
Send your news, press releases/articles to info@primetimereporters.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @reportersinfo and on Facebook at facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526.
