Cargo Clearance: FG advised to ban Port Quarantine Service from port

222222 — (L-R) Chairman of Apapa Chapter, Chief Dom Onyeka, Joe Sanni, National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Prince Segun Oduntan, Chairman of Tin Can Chapter, Comrade Goddy Soleji, Chairman, KLT; Comptroller Nike Oladunni, CAC of KLT Command, Zonal Chairman of Western of ANLCA, Sir John Ofobike. Back roll: immediate past Chairman of Apapa, Deacon Olumide Fakanlu and National Treasurer of ANLC, Dada Livinus Agubuzo

Customs agents have called on the federal government to ban Plant Quarantine Service from the ports as its operations constitute a clog to the 48 hour cargo clearance policy of the government and the Service should be specifically invited to examination bays by the Nigeria Customs Service when its service is needed.

The call was made by the Chairman of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (Western Zone), Lagos, Sir John Oforbike during a courtesy visit to the Customs Area Controller of Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Mrs. Nike Oladunni in Lagos.

Oforbike who was speaking on challenges being faced by his members at KLT Plant Quarantine officials excessive exploit members of the association by requesting them to come to their office to sign examination form which, said, is ploy to demand for kickbacks.

Oforbike noted that Nigeria Customs Service, as the lead agency in the ports, should take charge and direct all other agencies to sign the examination forms at the examination bay instead of requesting customs agents to go to their offices to sign as this wastes time.

The ANLCA Chairman admonished the customs head to look into other challenges such as multiple alerts by customs, non-stemming of cargo to the command among other.

Responding, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Oladunni thanked the visitors and praised them for taking risking to maneuver their ways through the rough road. She stated that the inaccessible state of port roads has affected transfer of containers into the terminals and this has greatly affected revenue generation of the command.

The controller made this known when principal members of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Western Zone, led by its Chairman, Sir Dan Katsina Oforbike, visited her in the command in Lagos.

Comptroller attributed the rise in the revenue profile of the command recently to the cooperation received from members of ANLCA, especially from the chapter Chairman of the command, Comrade Goddy Sewa Soleji.

On the issue of the unnecessary interference in cargo delivery process by especially the Plant Quarantine Services and the signing of examination forms by government/security agencies at the examination bay, Comptroller Oladunni attributed this disunity in ANLCA.