B’odogwu: Apapa Customs Promises Provisional Release of Cargoes to Compliant Importers, Agents

—Conducts Training for ANLCA Members

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service, Compt Babatunde Olomu has assured that compliant importers and clearing agents could apply for provisional release of their consignments under the B’Odogwu trade platform if such company has been profiled and deemed compliant.

According to DAILY TREND findings, when the B’Odogwu trade platform went live at the command, the Customs had provided leeway for clearing agents who find it difficult to clear their consignments, to take delivery of their cargoes and come back afterwards to ensure foreclosure of their documents.

However, speaking at a training programme organised for members of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at its headquarters in Amuwo Odofin on Friday, Compt Olomu lamented that the opportunity was abused by clearing agents.

According to him, over 1,000 documents were left at the command, while the owners never returned to perfect them. He however assured that the command would be willing to open the provisional release window to compliant agents who apply for it, but that this would be on a case by case basis and no longer a blanket provision.

Speaking on the abuse of the provisional release, Compt Olomu said “After a while, from my command alone, we were having up to 1,000 documents left behind, and this was why the headquarters had to stop it.

“However, to every rule there would be an exemption, we would look at the level of compliance, and check your records, if such a person merits it, it would be on a case by case thing and not just a blanket provision, if we see the level of compliance that has been maintained in the past, we may plead with the headquarters to allow us treat such” he said
He assured the clearing agents who are experiencing teething problems on the B’Odogwu platform that the backlogs would be resolved before Tuesday.

“Before now, the response was very slow, but the CGC has decentralised the help desk and allowed all commands to do it. However between now and Tuesday, we should be able to clear all the backlogs.

“We want all stakeholders to start using the B’Odogwu platform, the reason is that the federal government’s contract on NICIS has ended, and in such situation, if there are challenges and issues, we are the ones that bear the brunt because they are no longer responsible to solve the challenges” he said

While fielding questions from maritime reporoters at the end of the training, Compt Olomu said ANLCA as the mother body of all freight forwarding associations is the first point of call, adding that as from next week, the training would be extended to others.

“Recall recently the Nigerian Customs Service commenced the transition from NICIS sequel to the exit of Webfontein.
So the new platform now is just an effort to continue with sensitization among the critical stakeholders, and ANLCA happens to be the mother of all other stakeholders. And that is why we are choosing ANLCA at to commence the training

“Next week, we would be going to other associations. We will also be visiting APMT to have the same training before we now have the grand training at the customs office” Compt stated

Speaking on the teething challenges of the B’Odogwu platform, the Customs boss said it borders on people not having the requisite knowledge to actually operate the platform.

“It’s not that the platform itself is not robust. It is robust. But you see, in a situation where somebody is a driver, he is used to driving a car. Now, probably he learns with manual and you now brought an automatic, you have to train such a person on how to use it

“So that’s actually the situation. It’s not that the platform is not robust. But you see, it’s very important that the knowledge required to man the platform must be shared.
“it’s what we have at PTML that we have at Tin Can and Apapa, It’s the same platform.

“Last week the CGC was in town and he had meetings with critical stakeholders including the banks. You know, it’s quite a number of other agencies and platforms are connected. He had meetings with banks. He had meetings with the TMP (Trade Modernization Project) that’s those who are actually manning the platform.

“And a number of issues have been identified. In fact, controller of Tin Can Command was there, controller PTML command was also there. So it’s just to show that whatever challenges we are having, cuts across, it’s not just peculiar to a command, and he was able to extract a sort of undertaking that within the next one week, most of these problems that had been identified would be a thing of the past” he concluded

Speaking earlier during the interactive session of the training, National Vice President of ANLCA, Prince Segun Oduntan urged the customs to prioritise training of the licensed customs agents, just the way customs officers are being trained periodically.

Speaking, Prince Oduntan said “The CGC is training the customs officers very well, but the clearing agents who are your marketers, the gap is there, it is not that agents are not knowledgeable, we have also set up our own training for members to improve, but we want you to be on the same page with us”

National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Emmanuel Onyeme also requested that Licensed customs agents should also be given the privilege to be trained abroad, just like the customs officers are being trained.

While congratulating the Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi as the new Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation, the ANLCA spokesman pressed further that the CGC should sponsor a delegation of ANLCA members on the next general session of the WCO under his leadership.