…As campaign train arrives Tincan Island Port
The Acting National President and Presidential hopeful in the forthcoming National Executive Committee, NECOM election of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto has assured members of the association that if elected, he will build a profession that will be respected.
Farinto who gave this assurance while addressing members of the association at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos on Tuesday reiterated that licensed customs agents were the trade facilitators as well as the ones generating all the revenue being declared by the officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS on monthly and yearly basis.
He however, regretted that because they were not respected by the society which he alleged had an erroneous impression about them, they were consigned to the back seat. He assured that going forward, the narrative would change for the better.
He said, “Gentlemen, it is high time we take our own destiny in our own hands. If we allow it to slip this time around, we may not get it back in the next five years. This is a profession, we should be asking questions, this is a profession that the federal government, formulating policies, must invite us. WCO (World Customs Organization) 2013 Year Book said that every customs administration must carry along her customs brokers because they are critical stakeholders. How many times have you been invited to Abuja for God’s sake?”
Continuing, Dr. Farinto further assured that if elected, the women and the youths would enjoy prominence in his administration as he vowed to empower them by procuring licenses for them to operate with and become self reliant.
His words, “If elected, our women will not be in the kitchen alone, you must also have licenses. I want women to also be part of our National Executive Committee. So, going forward, we will make sure we empower women in the area of licenses because you people are very meticulous better than the men. Our youths should stand up for their rights, if not, the old order will not fade away. Except you stand up and claim your mandate, things will remain the way they are.
“If elected, I am going to create two offices that will be manned by the youths and we also make sure that our youths, on yearly basis, should have a minimum of ten licenses that will be generated from your end.”
He, therefore, urged them to vote wisely and not waste their votes in candidates who he said would only specialized in giving vote of thanks at events.
“Let us shine our eyes and vote for credible candidates in this coming election, not candidates that will be giving you vote of thanks I have never given vote of thanks as Vice President let alone as an Acting President instead, I have been working tirelessly (for ANLCA). If you vote for the team that I have assembled, you will not regret it.
“We have to think how we can be generating revenue for ourselves, how we can be generating revenue for the association because there is a particular project that I have kept for myself which will require a lot of money and that is the Institute of Customs Brokers. It is going to gulp a lot of money, so, we must make sure we have an income base so that on a monthly basis, ANLCA will be assessing it and will be using it to better the association.
“I want to beg you to shine your eyes before you cast your vote. Do not take us back to Egypt. We have the opportunity to right the wrongs now. If you vote for this team, it is the best for ANLCA”, he stated.
Photo: Dr. Kayode Farinto, Acting National President of ANLCA addressing a campaign rally at Tincan Island Port in Lagos Tuesday.
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.
