NAFDAC Boss Receives ANLCA President, NECOM Members, Frowns At Forgery of Agency’s Export Certificates

R-L: National President of ANLCA, Emenike Nwokeoji, Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Christiana Modupe Adeyeye and other senior executives of both organization during a strategic meeting recently
By DAPO OLAWUNI
National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Mr Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji last week Thursday led the National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the Association on a courtesy visit to the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Lagos.
The ANLCA team was received by the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christiana Modupe Adeyeye and her management team.
In a statement issued at the weekend by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the ANLCA President, Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman, the NAFDAC DG laments the prevailing act of forgery of the agency’ export certificates by some unscrupulous importers and agents.
Prof. Adeyeye charged ANLCA to be the rallying point for all other associations in the freight industry, and ensure dignity and transparency among the stakeholders.
While highlighting the major areas of concentration at the meeting, Sulaiman said “The meeting centered on areas where bottleneck and challenges were obvious in cargo clearance operations with serious emphasis by our dependable and erudite president Mr Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, these areas includes:-
“1. Conflict of intrest during examination of consignments between NAFDAC and SON ( Standard Organization of Nigeria) where Agents have to go through double standard in the hand of both regulator’s, the DG responded positively that ,this will still be seriously looked into, because over 100 product regulations were conceded to SON for regulations in the past for harmonious relationship and not to suffer Agents unjustly .
2. Monopoly of product without capacity by some die hard importers, which will also be streamlined according to the DG.
3 Mr President further asked NAFDAC to conduct workshop, and seminars periodically for our members to empower them on the new operational procedures of NAFDAC as it concern port operations.
4. Mr President also requested to know why CRIA payment for products coming from China and India are usually paid with foreign currencies, NAFDAC responded that the payment are usually meant for their foreign counterparts that carry out the product inspection and product radiation.
5. ANLCA want NAFDAC to do more on rejection of export products by countries of destination.
6. ANLCA president further request for more synergy between NAFDAC and ANLCA members.
“However, NAFDAC DG Prof. Adeyeye in her opening speech eulogize ANLCA for standing tall and to have this gone this far despite some challenges since 1954, she also appreciate the relationship and coperation enjoyed so far between NAFDAC and ANLCA,
“She further iterate her willingness to extend her office coperation as before but we must preach compliance and due process to our various importers because we see more than the agency during cargo clearance procedures, she queries why Nigerians cant protect Nigeria’s image both home and in diaspora.
“She exemplifies various infractions that are dangerous to the health of the Nation, in her statement, she expect ANLCA to play the role of LISENCED IMPORT AND EXPORT AGENTS with dignity and transparency because the country belongs to all of us.
“She promised that once we are in tandem with the regulations, the regulatory body will be on our side come rain come shine.
“She specifically asked for a robust interpersonal day to day relationship with our President, to oil the tools of trade facilitation and promised that her door is open to Mr President to correct various negative impressions by unscrupulous elements that never wish the country well.
“On export challenges, she frowned at those that collaborate with some people to forge various NAFDAC certificates and permit which constitutes the major reasons why foreign receivers reject our expor products, that export products must go through the process of certification by NAFDAC.
“She further exemplifies some company that are dying because of importation of low class syringes one of company have a stockpile of product that is over a billion Naira value without patronage bcs of importation of low class products through unapproved means, that we should all encourage export to earn forex”