By Godfrey Bivbere
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, CAC, Jane Shoboiki, has declared that the inability and failure of Customs agents to adhere strictly to cargo clearance procedures is responsible for delay in trade facilitation.

Shoboiki disclosed this when the national leadership of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) led by its President, Chief Increase Uche, paid a working visit to her office in the airport.

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She noted that trade facilitation would be effective and fast when cargo stakeholders declare their documents correctly.

The Customs boss who thanked the visitors averred that every Customs officer is proud to be an officer of the Service because of the sterling leadership quality the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, Hameed Ali (rtd) has provided since assuming office.

She maintained that under the leadership of the CGC, trade facilitation has improved and revenue collection has gone up.

She noted that her command would cooperate with NAGAFF in promoting trade facilitation and charged the association to continue to train, talk and counsel its members on genuine cargo declaration.

She further stated: “Our stakeholders, customs agents, must make genuine declaration; we need honest declaration. When you don’t have this we will be going backward. Trade will be facilitated when cargo is properly declared.

‘’I believe NAGAFF should do more of training and talking to its members and counsel them on genuine declaration.”

Earlier in his speech Uche had noted that the essence of their visit was to interface and strengthen the existing relationship between the command and NAGAFF, saying there was peace and friendliness in the command.

The NAGAFF President who took time to explain the philosophy behind the formation of the association, informed the CAC that cargo were being over valued as cost of doing business in the ports has gone up and cargo are being diverted because of that.

Uche noted that the port system is going down every day because of bad road, saying that the target of NAGAFF is to bring about total sanitization of the industry.