By Evelyn Usman
Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has called for restraint in the seizure of goods by Customs officials, warning that it portends dire consequences to internal security.
Rather than resorting to the seizure of traded goods, in particular, he opined that sanctions should be imposed on violators .
He dropped the hint while being honored with “Man of the Year in Freight and Forwarding ‘ award by Cornerstonenewsng,com, an online news platform, in Apapa, Lagos.
Expressing concern over such action, he said it would not only add to the already tensed security situation in the country but would increase unemployment rate.
He said: “ The inherent seizure of goods by the Nigeria Customs Service is not the best . The auxiliary function of the Customs is intervention, like anti smuggling operations.
So when you bring in cargo that is traded , that is goods that are not falling under prohibition list, either absolute or as the case may be, then the inherent infractions, in terms of trade infractions will attract penalty . That is why the Custom law contains a penalty, not seizure.
“But if you go to import goods falling under the prohibition list, you have already offended the law abinitio. So, there is a need to separate goods falling under the prohibition list from those that are traded goods.
“ When you keep seizing these goods that are traded, what happens to those who own them? Do you know the number of families you have wrecked?
“ We should also look at the security implication. When you keep seizing these goods, what are the multiplying effects , what are the consequences? “
Fielding questions on the excesses of the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Strike Force, Aniebonam, clarified that as an intervention force, it was expected to operate only when there was an issue and return back to base, leaving the rest of the work to the Federal Operating Unit, FOU.
.” The strike force is not supposed to mount roadblocks as far as I know. So, if its officials are mounting a roadblock, the onus is on us to raise issues in that regard through the appropriate channel for the authority to look at it and deliberate on it. The intervention Force could come in for three or four months and go back , leaving the work for the FOU “
He also frowned at the continued closure of the land border, even as he described the environment of the port as appalling.
“ The Port environment is not accessible. This is supposed to be the gateway of the nation’s economy . The traffic on the axis has remained unabated for over four years and it is affecting so many things.
“ For instance, when a ship is idling, it is incurring cost. Aside from that, we are not flying flags . We are not thinking that cargo coming into this country is on CIA value and when we want to export, we are on FOB value, thereby losing our lines of freights.
“At this point, we should be talking about having a deep sea port and making Nigeria a transshipment centre. Do you know the level of employment that can generate?
“Nevertheless, there is hope . The hope is that we are talking about it and someday, somebody will be thinking for Nigeria” , NAGAFF founder stated.
Earlier in his remark, Cornerstonenewsng,com Consultant, Mr. Christopher Oji, explained that Aniebionam was nominated because of his laudable antecedents whichhad garnered wide commendation within and outside Nigeria.
On his part, President of Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, Mr Sunday Odita, described Aniebonam as a pragmatic maritime czar who had complemented the efforts of government regulatory agencies in Nigeria.
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