How CCECC, Maersk Line, Others Allegedly Snatch Jobs Belonging to Nigerian Freight Forwarders
By DAPO OLAWUNI
Fresh allegations of capital flight have began to trail China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) over the multi billion dollars rail project in Nigeria, even as Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have accused the company of failure to involve indigenous freight forwarding firms in the clearing of the project cargoes.
The association has equally accused other multinational shipping lines including Maersk Line, APM Terminal, and MSC Shipping of snatching jobs meant for indigenous freight forwarding practitioners.
Speaking at the recent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association in Lagos, it’s Acting President, Dr Kayode Farinto however said the association is making moves through the National Assembly to change the narrative.
He said ANLCA has gotten Lawyers and put up a bill on the need to indigenize “Customs Brokerage” which is a Nucleus of Freight Forwarding, to be left for Nigerians alone.
If the Bill is passed, Dr Farinto said Nigerian freight forwarders would be generating 25% employment among the youths on a yearly basis.
“Foreigners have taken over Ninety percent of our jobs, by practicing door to door services, or allowing non-functional Nigerians to be to be members as Director in their company’s.
“We are losing our jobs gradually, we now have multinationals like Maersk Line, AP Mollar, MSC Shipping and so on, they have all registered freight forwarding firms.
“CCECC is the company in charge of constructing rails in Nigeria, but CCECC now have a clearing department, is it supposed to be so? CCECC would import, they are also the ones that would clear the cargo”
“About five years ago I had a consignment at Cotonou port, I had my Bill of Laden, despite being a custom broker in Nigeria, I could not clear my consignment at Cotonou port, I had to give it to an indigenous practitioner”
“Very few members of the association are currently involved in clearing of project cargoes”
“We now have a situation whereby Lebanese, Indians are not licensed as customs brokers, Controllers of customs even given them more respect than the Nigerians”
“A major issue that is going to be a tsunami in the sector is indigenization of customs brokerage” Dr Farinto stated.
