ANLCA blames Customs for foreign invasion in cargo clearing business

Harboursandport.com: Lagos ---By Favour Efughi------------National President of the Association of the Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Olayiwola Shittu, has accused the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, to causing invasion of the clearing of cargo from the nation’s port by foreigners by licensing them to operate.

National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu

Shittu noted that the invasion is not only depriving the nation and its citizens of accruable revenue but has resulted in the loss of jobs. They also observed that the foreign clearing agents repatriate millions of naira yearly out of the country, a development which is only applicable to Nigeria.

The ANLCA National President, noted that the foreigners are having a filled day in Nigeria, other countries do not allowed foreigners access to their ports talkless of giving them license for cargo clearance.

According to him, “I will tell you that Customs is to blame. Most of these foreign companies come into this country as forwarders of cargos, as agency to shipping liners also known in Nigeria as shipping agents.

“Some companies come with the impression that they can do warehousing, but they use the style of door to door. They get involved in procurement and they want to deliver to the owner including doing the customs operations. It is only in Nigeria we have Customs operations in the hands of foreigners, it’s not done elsewhere.

“All over the world, indigenous people are the ones given the responsibility to act as Customs agents, for several reasons; patriotism is part of it, security is part, because there is no foreigner that will love you more than a Nigerian.

“And then capital flight, most of them that operate here, the money they make in Nigeria, they like to take it out. So we do not know the reason why Customs will not continue to give due diligence on those who have applied for license, and just give them because they are big enough to find their way.

“It could be by corrupt influence, it could be by political influence. Some of these foreign companies too have Nigerians as fronts. So all said and done, you cannot leave Nigeria and go to Kotonu next door and do clearing job, it’s not allowed, you must be an indigene and if we want to increase capacity for Nigerians, it should be limited to Nigeria.

“It is very easy to do; let them profile all the companies and find out those (Nigerians) that are behind them. There are companies today, you go to the port, and you see an Oyibo man going to customs offices. What is he looking for? And they seem to be respected by even the custom officers,” he concluded.