A former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto has applauded the federal government for taking the bold step to terminate the long standing contract with Webb Fontaine describing it as a welcome development towards strengthening cargo clearance at the ports in Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Tuesday, Farinto disclosed that he was one of the leading voices who vehemently spoke against the continued retention of the services of Webb Fontaine which he said was not adding value to cargo clearance in Nigeria due to its inefficiency and for the fact that there was no efficacy in its service.
He said, “I was one of those that advocated that we have an indigenous service provider that is our own, owned by Nigerians or by the black or Africans so that whatever money that is made from that would be ploughed back into our economy and Nigerians will be employed. So, I am happy that this is happening.
“There were deliberate attempt then by Webb Fontaine to sabotage the economy and we saw it. In fact, we took it to the National Assembly and that was why we clamoured for a homegrown system that is our own and would be compatible with our climate, developed by Nigerians, managed by Nigerians because we noticed that during a particular period in our economy, we normally have this problem of either upsurge or downtime.
“These were the things that they ought to have put into consideration and all the technical glitches would have been factored in while developing this homegrown system. We have Nigerians that are well endowed that can develop this system softwares and what have you to suit our climate. Unlike then when they will say because of rainfall, the server is down, Nigerians should have known that these are the things that happens in our climate. We have Nigerians that are sound, capable and technically okay that can develop such system.
“That was why I said I am one person who believed in indigenous systems because these are the things that can make our economy to grow, Nigerians are transferring their technical know-how abroad and they are doing well. So, why can’t they engage them locally.”
He, however, warned that the new company, Trade Modernization Project, TMP should be proactive and avoid the mistakes made by Webb Fontaine by ensuring that all the noticeable loopholes were plucked and improved upon in order to save Nigerians from relieving the nightmare of the former company.
On B’Odogwu, Farinto who is also a former National Vice President of ANLCA, recalled that there were many noticeable teething problems with the platform when it was introduced at a pilot scheme at the PTML terminal even as he warned that now the system was being extended to Tincan and Apapa commands, care should be taken to ensure that the observable teething problems have been sorted out and improved upon.
“I just hope the Nigeria Customs Service and the people in charge of the Trade Modernization Project have dot their Is and crossed their Ts. This is very important because Nigerians will not listen to any excuse in B’Odogwu regime when there’s no efficiency of service or when there’s any downtime. The Nigerian trading community will not take it lightly because whether we like it or not, demurrages and storages will accumulate and will be transferred to the final consumer”, he warned.
On what the initial challenges with the B’Odogwu were, he said, “There were issues when banks were not ready to accept it. Again, when you want to make declaration, you will find it very difficult to make the declaration, even when you succeeded in making the declaration, the few banks that were being used in making payment, the status will not change unlike what we have in NICIS ll where I can make payment in my office now, immediately, the status changes in the system and it indicates that the declarant has paid. These were one or two things we noticed in the pilot scheme which dragged on for too long. Again, there were issues where the declarant was not even recognized.
“So, I hope these things have been improved upon so that we wouldn’t be complaining of teething problems now that we want to deploy it across the nation because it is the national economy that we are talking about now and that is the essence of having a pilot scheme. Pilot scheme is supposed to detect the ills and the technical glitches that you have in any new system.”
He , thereafter, advised that efforts should be put in place to create a reward system for the young officers who developed B’Odogwu as a way of encouraging them and keeping them in the system.
His words, “You have to encourage them and one of the ways to encourage them is by identifying who owns B’Odogwu, who developed it. If it is actually the young officers of the Nigeria Customs Service that developed it, give them a percentage of whatever accrues from it, if it one or two percent, it encourages them, it will boost their morale as obtainable abroad where American government, for instance, employs the services of hackers to grow their economy, to track people with bad intentions to harm the American economy and they are doing well and they are well recognized.
“In fact, sometimes, American government gives them Service Passport. Let us grow to this level, appreciate the technical know-how of any individual. And that is why under the copyright laws, intellectual right should be protected. All this things must be taken into consideration, this we must borrow as a nation.”
On his feeling about the migration from NICIS ll to B’Odogwu, Farinto who is also the Managing Director/CEO of Wealthy Honey Investment Limited said, “I wouldn’t want to comment on that now until it finally takes off. May be under the first three weeks, we assess them, then after that, we assess them again after ninety days. That’s when we can make informed assessment because for something that has not kicked off, if you are making any comparison and say it is good now, I may be over rating it and if I say no, it will not work, I may be de-marketing that product. I want to see B’Odogwu put in place and it works because my own is let it work.”
Photo: Dr. Kayode Farinto, Managing Director/CEO, Wealthy Honey Investment Limited.
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