Worried by the treatment meted out to the freight forwarders by the officials of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA each time Colorado and the likes are intercepted at the ports during vehicle inspection, the leadership of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON has taken steps to engage the Management of the agency on the matter.
Speaking during a working visit to the NDLEA Headquarters In Abuja recently, the National President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, who was accompanied on the visit by some members of the executive of the association, stated that they were at the NDLEA Headquarters to seek ways to deepen collaboration between the agency and the freight forwarding practitioners so as not to hamper the ease of doing business as Nigeria joins the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
Ogunojemite who praised the Chairman of NDLEA, Buba Marwa and his management team for their efforts in ridding the nation of illicit drugs and its damaging effects on Nigerians especially the youth, pledged the support of his association in their onerous task of ensuring a drug free society.
He, however, frowned at the prolonged detention of freight forwarders nay licensed customs agents by the agency whenever Colorado and other hard drugs are discovered in vehicles which they undertake to clear from the ports for their principals, describing it as unfriendly and anti-trade.
The President further lament the way and manner the officials of the agency intimidate agents whose consignments are said to contain the suspected substance, treating them like less humans, demeaning their dignity and sense of pride.
He appealed to the Chairman of the agency to always bear in mind that freight forwarders are professionals in their own rights and should be treated with dignity in the course of their investigation and not to be bullied and cajoled into submission.
Requesting that they be granted instant bail as investigation continues, Otunba Ogunojemite said, “We should be recognized and I am sure the people in the ports and different commands, are acting according to the directive given to them by the headquarters and that’s what prompted our visit as well.
“They should be granted instant bail using our umbrella and treating us as professionals. So, when we have an issue, we should be respected as professionals and be able to dialogue with us instead of intimidating us.
“We should collaborate, we know how people are being treated abroad and we believe that the same international best practices should be extended to us here in Nigeria.”
Responding, the Chairman of NDLEA, Buba Marwa who expressed his happiness at the visit, disclosed the willingness of the agency to collaborate with patriotic individuals and groups including APFFLON to rid the nation of illicit drugs and its attendant damage to the psyche of Nigerians especially the youth.
Marwa who was represented during the visit by a Director in the agency, Hamza Umar, assured the leadership of the association of continuous collaboration provided that they accept that there are bad eggs among them just at there’s in the agency too and work towards exposing them..
He equally assured them that they will be treated with respect and as partners in the job of ridding the nation of illicit drugs while urging them to be good ambassadors of the country in discharging their duties.
Photo 1: Representative of the Chairman of NDLEA, Hamza Umar (left) and Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, President of APFFLON (right) during the visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja recently.
Photo 2: A cross section of NDLEA staff and members of APFFLON during the visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja recently.
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