ANLCA: How Mustapha’s Intervention Quelled Freight Forwarders Protest At Onne Port

0

Mustapha, in native caftan and cap, middle, Edore, 5th right, Mohammed, 3rd right, Ebeatu, 2nd right, Garba, next to Mustpha, and others

It is no longer news that freight forwarders have called off the one-week strike action they embarked upon last week in Port Harcourt Area 11 Command, Onne, Rivers State.
The strike was in protest of alleged high handedness by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, Onne Port Command.

Sources at the Eastern Port disclosed that Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) Association of Nigeria License Customs Agents (ANLCA) Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha was largely instrumental to how the crisis was eventually resolved with the customs.

The ANLCA Board Chairman was said to have led other stakeholders including the ANLCA Onne Chapter Chairman, Mike Ebeato, ANLCA OGZA Chapter Chairperson, Mrs. Okere Chinyere, Jerry Opara among others to a resolution meeting with the customs.

Sources close to the ANLCA BOT Chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, informed that he led chapter leaders of all the players, ANLCA, National Association of Government Approved Forwarders (NAGAFF), and the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF) to the meeting where all grey areas was discussed and resolved.

While the Coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone C, Assistant Comptroller General Elton Edore led the NCS delegation which comprised of the Customs Area Controllers of Onne and Port Harcourt Area 1, Comptroller Auwal Mohammed and Comptroller Yusuf Garba, respectively.

The withdrawal of services by the brokers and freight forwarders reportedly followed alleged extortion by custom officers, which began with huge demonstration Wednesday last week.

Customs sources however faulted the claim of extortion, arguing that the brokers are the purveyors of underhand deals, by initiating false declaration as a means to achieving underpayment of customs duty.

The customs has however met about 65 percent of demands by the freight forwarders.

Other hanging demands of the protesting freight forwarders which is yet to be attended to are; removal of the CIU team leader and the OC gate.

The meeting reportedly agreed to set up a freight forwarders committee that will interface with the Customs in order to look into future challenges especially in duty payment and harmonization of how cargoes are being clear at Onne to avoid extortion.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Share
Â