…Introduces newly elected PTML chapter executive
It was a busy day on Wednesday for the National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji as he took time off to visit the Customs Area Controller of the Ports and Terminals Multiservices Limited, PTML, Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan, the Managing Director of the PTML Grimaldi group, Mr. Ascanio Russo and the entire members of ANLCA PTML chapter to introduce and rally support for the newly elected PTML chapter executive.
Nwokeoji who embarked on the visit with the members of the National Executive Committee, NECOM members of the association, was received on arrival by Comptroller Daniyan.
Speaking on the purpose of the visit, the ANLCA National President disclosed that they were at the command basically to introduce the newly elected executive of the association in the chapter who he said would be working with the customs at the command in the next three years.
“This Exco, we are here also to let you know that they are not just here on their own, that the entire ANLCA are aware that they are here, they are our representatives here”, he said.
He urged the Controller not to hesitate to let them know at the national secretariat if at any time the members of the ANLCA executive in the chapter over step their bounds saying, “We are all human and as human beings, we are bound to, maybe step out of the line once in a while.”
“And then, in areas where they need your cooperation, because we are here to help you, to complement what you are doing, to enable you meet the target set up by the federal government. We know the expectation is high now due to the economic situation worldwide now that Nigeria is going through as well. We are here to encourage you, that in whatever area that you think that we are going to cooperate to make this your tenure successful, that you can always count on us”, he added.
The ANLCA boss further requested that “We plead before you, we know the world is dynamic, as you train your officers, try to train the agents too so that it’s easier to relate with someone with knowledge rather than relating with somebody without knowledge. It makes the job cumbersome and it will bring a lot of friction. So, if we want to avoid any friction, please, as you train your people, also train our people so that we will all be on the same wavelength in this job of protecting our economy and enhancing revenue generation for all of us.”
He thereafter, conveyed condolences, on behalf of ANLCA to the Comptroller General of Customs, CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi over bandits attack on the personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi Area command leading to loss of some fine officers even as he prayed the almighty God to console the Service, their immediate families and all those who mourn their death.
“This is the hazard of what we are doing. So, every day we are alive, we only have to thank God and we pray that God will continue to keep and sustain you people in the course of this job knowing how dangerous it is”, he prayed.
Responding, the Customs Area Controller, PTML Area Command, Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan informed the National President the the command had always been in harmony with the newly elected executive saying, “To be honest with you, you couldn’t have gotten them better with the current leadership of ANLCA. We have been relating with them as the elders of this command. When issues come up, we run to them and they were able to help us douse the tension. So, they are not new to us at all.”
He continued, “We are partners in progress. So, I thank you for seeing them fit to lead the association in this command. So, I congratulate all of you and I wish all of you the best of the best in this command and I will like to say here that, yes,we are ready to partner and partner in real time. We will work as a team, we will work as a family.
Meeting with the management of PTML terminal, the ANLCA National President appealed to them to relax some of the restrictions that they put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic including reducing the number of people that were issued the access card to access the terminal at that time urging them to review the restrictions and improve on them now that the pandemic was over.
His words, “I know that during COVID, restrictions were put in place as regards access to some of your facilities. Now, by God’s grace, there’s no COVID, can you look at how you will improve on that? Because our membership keeps improving and I know your business too is growing, so that new people coming here will have access to come in and do business with you.”
He further frowned at the situation where the terminal pays container refund to the importers instead of to the agents saying, “We observed that from your office here, when we handle such things, more of our containerized cargoes, when we come for container refund, your office insists that you want to pay the importer. It’s a very big challenge to us.
“The importer has nothing to do with all these things, that’s why we are fighting against every delay before now, you pass it on to the importer but the delays now on demurrage and rents, it’s agents that shoulder it. Only few importers now that you go back to them and say we have additional and he will talk to you because for him to talk to you, you need to give him reason why he should pay additional because if there’s no escape route, he will tell you because of your delay.
“So, please, we need to do something about that. We are ready to reach an understanding with you. If it is an indemnity, we will sign and if anything happens, then we take responsibility as an association. For all our members, we can sign for them. If at any time there’s contrary development, we will own it up. Though we are working with Shippers’ Council generally to have this but I don’t know when it will come, they have a consultant, I believe you are aware of it.”
He equally appealed to the management of PTML to consider allocating a space to the members of the association in the chapter where they can put up a forty footer or twenty footer container to serve as their office accommodation adding that what they have now was nothing to write home about.
Responding, the Managing Director of PTML, Ascanio Russo while thanking the delegation for the visit, congratulated the Chairman of ANLCA, PTML chapter, Chief Sunday Davies Charles Nwarienne and his team for the new position that they had attained even as he expressed his confidence that they could work very well like they had been working for all these years.
Russo pointed out that the issue of access card was something that they would look at and discuss with the chapter executive and work out arrangements on areas of improvement.
On container refund, he said, “I believe you are aware that already we are the fastest in the industry to give container refund. You can do everything electronically and this issue that you are saying is more like a thing of the past because now we are doing refund even to the agent if you have the LOI, if you have indemnity. So, we are already paying the agent. When they give us recommendation, we pay the agent and we have been working on this for sometime now.”
He, however, assured them that he will look into their request for allocation of space for office accommodation for members of ANLCA in the chapter.
Photo 1: Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan, Customs Area Controller, PTML Customs Command (right) presenting a souvenir to Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, ANLCA National President during his visit to the command with his entourage yesterday.
Send your press invite, news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @PrimetimeRepor1 and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526.
