Godwin Oritse

THE leadership of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has condemned the recent attack on officers of the Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service saying that “the act was illegal and uncalled for”.

Reacting to the attack, President of the ANLCA Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu told  Vanguard that the move to launch an attack on the Tin-Can Island was not the decision of any body but that of a few people with an agenda in that Command..

Shittu stated the association is not a violent group, adding that there are procedures before certain actions are taken.
The ANLCA boss stated that the leadership did not authorise the withdrawal of service by clearing agents
You just don’t wake up one morning and say you are downing tools with out prior dialogue, warning, and notice.
“The whole thing is an illegality, certain people with interest and score to settle seized the opportunity of the situation to launch the attack.

“The instant outburst of anger was expressed by people we are yet to  identify and we also found out that the people involved are not known to us.

“Customs has the right to secure government properties and if we must withdraw our services, we must give notice. We shall dialogue before any action is taken .

“We instructed our chapter to arrest the situation and let people go back to work, the same people who have interest persuaded our chapter and members not to go to work that is why I said it was illegally perpetrated.

As I speak with you, the strike is fizzling out because they don’t have a genuine case. ‘The CAC of Tin-Can said that the issue is so minor that they  don’t see the need for me to get involved.

Customs know the people that have scores to settle with them and they know the people who want to use the situation to blackmail them, let them take the appropriate action if they wish to.

“As far as we are concerned, the action is illegal, the violence is uncalled for, it is condemnable and even the action of withdrawing of service is uncalled for, we did not authorise it.

“Even if we need to withdraw service we must give notice, we would have had dialogue with the relevant authorities because we are a professional body”.

He vowed never to allow the gains recorded  to be derailed by certain individuals for their personal benefits.
He also vowed to sanction whoever is found to have been involved in attack on the officials of the Customs service and violent destruction of government properties.

He also disclosed that the leadership of the Tin-Can Island chapter has realised that they have been used by the same individuals who vehemently opposed the rebranding and change process that is sweeping across the freight forwarding industry.