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Stakeholders Laud Removal Of NAFDAC, Others From Ports

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Commendations have continued to trail the recent pronouncement by the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonji –Iweala’s directive that all except six agencies should leave the ports, to eliminate extortion and corruption in our ports.

The Finance Minister who gave the marching order last week in her first visit to the Lagos Port, also suspended further collection of Controversial Cargo Tracking Note (CTN).

The Minister further directed the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Inde Abdulllahi Dikko to sack all task forces and maintain only one Customs Unit at the ports.

The agencies sent packing from the ports include, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food, Drugs and Administration Control (NAFDAC), Plant Quarantine, Directorate of Military Intelligent (DMI), Directorate of Naval Intelligent (DNI), NESREA, and Police Bomb Disposal Unit.

The agencies approved by the Minister to remain in the ports are Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which have statutory functions.

Others are, the Customs Service, Port Health, Immigration Service, State Security Service (SSS), and the Port Police Command, which is to maintain security in the ports.

According to Okonjo-Iweala, all the effected agencies could be invited to the ports whenever the need arises.

In her words, “In order to stop extortion and corruption going on in our ports and make them as efficient as we can, within the next two months, we currently have about 14 agencies at the ports, but they would be reduced to six only. They include The Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), and Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) that has statutory roles at the ports, while other  include Nigeria Customs Service, Port Health, Immigration Service, Port Police and the State Security Service (SSS) only.

All other agencies are out of the port, when we need their services at the ports, the NCS would write them to come and when they finish, they can go back”, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, since the pronouncement of the removal of the agencies from the Ports by the Federal government, mixed reactions have continued to trail the new policy, with majority of the stakeholders in support of the action.

But, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, the founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), is not too happy with the position of the Minister.

In his words, “Am happy about the removal of the agencies, but I am not too happy because it would cause delay. We could have said, let the agencies remain in the port, but banned from examinations bays, because of their statutory functions.

Citing the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, “SON, as an example, Dr Aniebonam, said SON is to regulate and maintain standards, “Now if the government said the SON should leave the ports, are we saying that whatever product that required SON’S checks, SON should be invited from its office, do we take into consideration the time and delay it will cost?” The NAGAFFF founder questioned.

Aniebonam, however, cautioned the government to rethink and make sure the new policy does not give way to sub-standard goods flooding the country as well as delays in the clearing of goods due to this new policy.

In a separate interview, the Public Relations Officer, Association of Nigeria License Customs Agents (ANLCA), Seme border, Mr. Emmanuel Eba Okwochie, said “we appreciate the removal of the agencies from the border stations and sea ports but the government should also consider the implications of their removal, adding that some dubious importers may use the advantage to bring in sub standard goods and fake products.

Okwochie, urged the Federal Government to look proper before lift, adding that the concesssioning of the ports today’s is a total failure and advised that policy makers should not always be in a hurry in ???? at decision.

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