The founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has said that the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service who may have worked or were involved in the clearance of the container wherein 661 pump action rifles were discovered and seized by the operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) command of the Service should not be associated with matters of connivance as the tools for trade facilitation in relation to Customs examination are not available in our ports.
Aniebonam who stated this in a press release he issued in Lagos Thursday noted that although the customs examiners most time exercise due discretion in the conduct of their duty it was most unfortunate that the Nigerian Government which indeed concessioned the ports to private operators for efficiency and productivity may have failed to supervise the operators in-terms of equipment and machinery availability.
He recalled that as it was, the hydro scanners at the various seaports and other entry points were not working for automation of Customs examination arguing that even when they were working, they may not serve the purpose because they were obsolete and cannot even detect the assault rifles in a container as he described the development as very regrettable.
Aniebonam who is also the National Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for contended that that there is no Customs officer that would go ahead to release arms no matter the incentives from anybody even as called for he matter to be properly investigated whether the importer has a valid permit from the Office of the National Security Adviser and/or the Office of the Inspector General of Police.
According to him,” The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders had since declared that the frenzy over the 661 rifles illegally imported into the country, and which were impounded by the Federal Operations Unit Ikeja is uncalled for as long as we all know that smuggling activities are recurring global illegal trade. It is on record that the President of the United States of America Donald Trump is insisting that his Government must build a wall to protect Americans from the hands of smugglers of cocaine, heroin, terrorists and heinous crimes in general. It is also on records that pump action (Rifles) are a restricted import falling under absolute prohibition. The point herein canvassed is to state that the subject matter should be to investigate whether the importer has a valid permit from the office of the National Security Adviser and/or the office of the Inspector General of Police.
“NAGAFF had also stated that the officers of the Nigeria Customs who may have worked or were involved with the clearance of the said container should not be associated with matters of connivance because the tools for trade facilitation in relation to Customs examination are not available in our ports. We know that in most cases the greater numbers of Customs examiners exercise due discretion to do their job. It is most unfortunate that the Nigerian Government which indeed concessioned the ports to private hands for efficiency and productivity may have failed to supervise the operators in-terms of equipment and machinery availability. We also know that the carriers of the imported containers are expected to know what is laden in every cargo on board the vessel. And as we speak, nobody is enforcing that regulation in our international trade.
“NAGAFF is greatly worried over the conduct of freight forwarders and licensed Customs agents who overnight became importers which they are not. We just hope that the agent connected to this alleged illegal importation did not use his private company for the import. It is regrettable to note that most freight agents seem not to realize the implication of their actions whenever they use their private companies to import and document for their principals. We have always advised and will continue to advise the management of the Nigeria Customs Service to jettison the idea of licensing corporate bodies which has provided a shield for the importers to commit crimes without being held responsible. The need to license individuals who are trained and certified by an approved authority cannot be over- emphasized.
“We again advise the management of the Nigeria Customs Service to build integrity and professionalism in the business of freight forwarding profession in Nigeria. To achieve this, the Nigeria Customs should enter into strategic partnership with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) whose mandate it is to regulate and control the practice of freight forwarding profession. In the instance we wait for the final verdict of the National Assembly over the repeal of Customs laws to delete and expunge the Licensing regulation of the Customs from the new Customs law. We sincerely advise freight forwarders and Licensed Customs Agents to imbibe the culture of best practices.
“Arising from this development with regard to the arrest of the importer of these 661 rifles we have observed that trade facilitation has been thrown to the dustbin at the moment, operations are stalled at the entry points for 100% Customs examination. It is trite to mention that trade is very critical to our ailing economy and as such we must ensure that trade is not only facilitated but seen to have been facilitated in the interest of the National economy. We recall the importation of large volume of cocaine and the case of eleven containers of rocket propellers and other related arms at our ports in the past years. In other words these are things the public is aware that usually happen. What we need to do as a people and the Government in particular is to give reasonable information and provide the tools of trade facilitation for the optimal performance of the officers and men of the Customs in the Customs ports and approved border stations respectively. As we speak, the hydro scanners are not working for automation of Customs examination. Even when they are working, they may not serve the purpose because they are obsolete and cannot even detect the assault rifles in a container. This is very regrettable. In the opinion of the entire members of NAGAFF, we want to state clearly that there is no Customs officer that will go ahead to release arms no matter the incentives from anybody. Wherein we appreciate the benevolence of the Customs to exercise due discretion while doing their job, the need to exercise restraint, due diligence, experience and intelligence are mostly required and deployed.
We need to quickly state here that NAGAFF as an Association is not trivializing the feat achieved by men of the FOU in the arrest of the 661 Rifles and those behind it. As a patriotic Association, we are highly elated at this feat, because we appreciate the dangers such large cache of arms can do to the security and safety of the people, if they (rifles) fall into wrong hands. What we are saying is that we should avoid tarnishing the image of Customs officers that are closely or remotely connected to the release of the consignment with the tar of corruption and unpatriotism. We are therefore calling for a thorough investigation to establish their level of culpability or otherwise. The whole essence is to avoid the innocent being punished unnecessarily”, the statement partly read.
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