26 December 2015, Lagos – The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has urged stakeholders in the port industry to collaborate with the Federal Government of Nigeria to eliminate corruption in cargo clearance from the nation’s seaports.
The Founder of NAGAFF, Chief Boniface Aniebonam, who made the plea in an interactive session with journalist in Lagos commended the efforts of the Comptroller General (CGC) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) in enforcing zero tolerance on corrupt practices.
Aniebonam said the CGC was carrying out President MuhammaduBuhari’sinstruction that corruption should be eradicated at all levels to make Nigeria attractive to foreign investors.
His words: “If corruption is eradicated in all aspects of our operations, people will begin to do things right and it will also launder Nigeria’s image among other nations. The freight forwarders are also supporting the comptroller-general of customs in his mandate of stopping corruption and enhancing government’s revenue”.
According to him, some freight forwarders, operating in the nation’s seaports, especially Tin Can Island Port, were experiencing delays in clearing their cargoes. This had to do with the problem encountered in re-routing of cargo. This had been delaying seamless operation at the port.
National President of NAGAFF, Chief Eugene Nweke, said the Anti- Corruption Unit of the association was vested with the power of whistle-blowing so as to expose all forms of corrupt practices in the industry.
The Chairman, Anti-Corruption Unit of NAGAFF, Mr. Increase Uche, said the top hierarchy of NAGAFF had met the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Port, Comptroller ZakariJibrin.
He said the meeting discussed challenges the members were having with regard to cargo clearance.
“We met with Comptroller Jibrin and he promised that he will call a stakeholders’ meeting where he would meet all clearing agents and freight forwarders to discuss issues bordering them. I am trying to meet practitioners to agree on a day, which will be slated for next week, before going for the Christmas holiday”, he said.
