Mr Kelvin Ukachukwu, the Managing Director of Ayiyi Farms and Allied Services, has advised freight forwarders to be upright in cargo declaration.

Ukachukwu, a freight forwarder said that the common age-long practice of false declaration was robbing on the integrity of members and portrayed them as dishonest people.

He stated this on Friday in Lagos that the practice had made freight forwarders to continue to be at the mercy of customs officers.

“If you made proper declaration of the content of your cargo, I don’t see any reason the customs or any other operative should hold you to ransom.

“We have seen cases where an agent made declaration of certain items and during the cause of examination items not declared were found in the cargo,” Ukachukwu said.

According to him, the practice pre-disposes others to unwarranted scrutiny by operatives.

He said that even companies that enjoyed fast track privilege were now being subtly examined thereby eroding the initial trust.

He admonished other freight forwarders to be professional in their conduct and desist from the unscrupulous act and save others the embarrassment.

He said that with the wind of change that was blowing across the nation championed by the Buhari administration “it is pertinent that we follow suit’’.