Freight Monitor

Freight Forwarders raise alarm over containers broaching at Apapa port examination bay

Eyewitness reporter

Freight Forwarders plying their trade at the Apapa port have expressed concerns over the alarming rate of container broaching and cargo theft at the Customs’ examinations bay at the APM Terminals, Apapa.

Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, the Co-ordinator of 100 percent compliance team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) who ventilated the aggregate feelings of concerned freight forwarders, enjoined all the stakeholders, especially the security agencies, to rise up and nip the rising threat in the bud before it escalates to unimaginable proportion.

Alhaji Tanko, who was briefing the press on the outcome of the security meeting he convened with the relevant agencies and other players in the industry, revealed a lot of anomalies that characterise the process of cargo examination at the Apapa port.

According to him, apart from losing their cargo to “wharf rats”, importers are also losing their goods to indiscriminate sampling by agencies at the ports.

“We are losing a lot of money as a result of sampling. Almost all the agencies, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, labour take samples while it is the duty of NAFDAC and SON that officially has the right to take sample items after which they are returned to their owners and there are procedures for sampling. This is what we are suffering here”, he lamented.

Tanko explained the covert ways port urchins pilfer cargo at the examination bay, especially those seized and kept by Customs.

“There are number of times the containers seized by Nigeria Customs Service, kept at the designated area, were broken by these wharf rats, carted away with the cargoes especially, banned substance like Tramadol” Tanko claimed.

“There is a need to reduce crowd at the Examination Bay.

“We observed that about 50 – 60 people sleep in APMT platform.

“One day, a freight forwarder was traced from the platform to his house and in the process, the police investigations showed the suspect was one of those who sleep on that platform.

“The APM Terminal is not a sleeping place nor a football field. Those doing that should stop

“Everybody has a role to play both the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Customs Service, NPA, DSS and others.

” APM Terminal are not the owners of the port, rather partners. Since the platform housing Customs offices now belong to Customs as I am made to understand, Customs should then take charge”, the NAGAFF National Vice-President, declared.

Tanko disclosed that all the stakeholders who attended the security meeting at the instance of the NAGAFF compliance team were unanimous in their determination to work together to stamp out the menace.

According to him, the Area Comptroller of Apapa command, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf Malanta, stated that his Command had already taken steps to reduce the crowd by introducing Customs permit tag for Customs examination officers.

Malanta, according to Tanko, added that Customs officers who are to conduct examinations of containers cannot access the bay without the tag which will have the officers’ picture and name.

The Customs’ helmsman reportedly said the command had also created tags for clearing agents whose consignments had been positioned for examination, as well as placed enforcement officers to secure the platform.

Also speaking at the security meeting, the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) who represented the agency, on his part, reportedly reiterated the need for proper and effective issuance of the permit as well as calling for the setting up of Joint Security Night Patrol which will involve Customs, Police and Compliance Team to fish out the criminals.

The President-General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria(MWUN), Adewale Adeyanju through his representative, reportedly lauded the initiative of the NAGAFF compliance team but however blamed the security agents for the security lapses at the port.

The Port Police, on their part, was said to have denied any knowledge of the incidents, claiming no report had been formerly brought to their knowledge.

The police representative however commended Tanko for the laudable initiative and assured of the readiness of the port police to swing into action in a bid to curb the rising security threat.

Those who attended the meeting included The CAC, Apapa Command, Controller Yusuf Malanta, The Port Police Commissioner,
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) represented by the Chief Security Officer, The DSS, Mekura, the Contractor of Labour, the President Of Maritime Labour, APMT, NAGAFF, AREFFN, while ANLCA, Council of Managing Directors were absent.

Freight Monitor

ANLCA postpones NECOM election to July 5th as ASECO releases fresh guidelines

Nze Aloysius Emeka Igwe, ASECO Chairman, ANLCA

Following the death of the erstwhile chairman of the Association Electoral Commission(ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents( ANLCA), Mr. Alloy Anukwuru, who died in April 2023, the new Chairman of the electoral body has released a fresh guideline for the much-anticipated election.

In the new electoral timetable released by the new chairman of the eight-man electoral committee, Nze Aloysius Emeka Igwe, whose appointment by the board of the association sequel to the death of Anokwuru, was announced about a week ago, the ANLCA NECOM election will now hold on July 5th, 2023.

This is about less than a two-month extension from the original date of May 25th, 2023 as earlier announced by the electoral body when it was headed by late Anukwuru.

According to the new electoral guideline signed by the new Chairman of ASECO, Emeka Igwe and Alhaji Mustapha Yakubu, the ASECO Secretary, there will be registration of voters at the Western Zone(National Headquarters), Eastern Zone(Onne) and Northern Zone(Abuja) from May 17th -June 2nd, 2023.

Also, the sales of nomination form/letter of intent closes on May 26th, 2023 while the final submission of the original nomination form is slated for between May 26th- 30th, 2023.

Electoral petitions by aggrieved members or participants will be entertained from June 2nd-9th, 2023 while the publication of the aspirants/first provision voters list will be between June 5th -9th, 2023.

The verification and the screening of original documents of voters in the Western Zone hold between June 12th-15th, 2023 while the verification and screening of licenses of voters in the Eastern Zone takes place June 19th -21st, 2023 and that of the Northern Zone takes place between June 22rd-23rd, 2023.

The screening of the aspirants is slated for July 3rd, 2023 while the publication of the final voters and candidate list will also be done on July 3rd, 2023.

The proper election and declaration of results by the returning officer holds on July 5th, 2023, thus ushering in the new executives that will pilot the affairs of the battle-weary ANLCA for a single term of five years.

Freight Monitor

Aftermath of Anokwuru’s death: ANLCA appoints Alloy Igwe as new ASECO chairman

The eyewitness reporter

A few weeks after the death of Alloy Anokwuru, the erstwhile Chairman of the Associations Electoral Committee (ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)who died in April, the association has appointed Alloy Chukwuemeka Igwe as a new chairman of ASECO.

Unveiling the new chairman at the National Secretariat of the association, Kayode Farinto, the Acting National President of ANLCA, charged the new chairman to leave above board.

“Don’t collect bribes in your new assignment. You may be blackmailed but you should remain steadfast” he charged the new ASECO chairman.

Farinto disclosed that the appointment of the new electoral body was made and ratified at a combined meeting of the association’s NECOM and BOT, last week Saturday.

“There shouldn’t be a vacuum and that was the reason this appointment had to be made.

While eulogizing the former ASECO chairman, Farinto said the association was equally confident in the ability of the new chairman who has an impeccable pedigree in the association.

He said there was a new dawn in ANLCA as never again will unlicensed members be allowed to lord it over the licensed members.

“If the election is successful, it will herald a rebirth of the association and its lost glory will return” Farinto declared.

He, therefore, charged the new chairman and the electoral committee to sanitize the electoral process in the association for the betterment of the group.

He also admonished ANLCA members to remain united and resolute in the current efforts to rebuild the association.

The board also appointed Mr Sanusi Adebayo Suleiman from the MMA chapter as the eighth member of ASECO.

Mr Aloy Igwe and Suleiman were later sworn in by the Acting National President of ANLCA.

The new chairman promised to deliver on his mandate and expressed gratitude to the association for his appointment.

He however said the old timetable of the NECOM election will have to be amended to reflect the new realities on the ground.

The timetable for the NECOM election drawn by the ASECO before Aloy Anokwuru died shows that the election is supposed to hold May, 25th 2023.

It still remains to be seen if the little disruption caused by the death of the former Chairman will affect the date or not.

Freight Monitor

ANLCA holds NECOM elections May 25th as ASECO releases guidelines

The eyewitness reporter

The much-anticipated elections into the National Executive Council of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) holds on May 25th, 2023.

According to the election timetable released by the Association Electoral Commission(ASECO), a copy of which was sighted by our reporter, the notice of election has been published on April 11, 2023, while the registrations of voters will be conducted by ASECO at the ANLCA national secretariat from April 12th to 28th, 2023.

The guideline, dated April 11th, 2023, also revealed that the electoral committee will entertain letters of intent from interested contestants from April 12th- April 28th, 2023.

Also, nomination forms with elections guidelines will be on sale from April 12th- April 19th, 2023 while the final submission of the original nomination forms and other requirements by aspirants will be on the 27th of April 2023.

Furthermore, the screening of aspirants will take place from May 2nd-May 9th, 2023 while election petitions will be entertained May 10th -18th, 2023.

Also, a provisional list of voters and candidates will be published on May 19th, 2023 while there will be a joint ASECO/BOT/NECOM meeting on May 22nd, 2023 to consider and resolve election petitions.

The final voters and candidates list will be published on May 23rd, 2023.

May 25th, 2023, will be the D-day when the elections will hold and the results declared by the returning officer.

Following the consummation of the peace pact between the two warring parties in ANLCA which ushered in an era of peace in the association that was on the boil for five years, a seven-member electoral body called ASECO, headed by Mr. Alloy Anukwuru, was inaugurated to conduct elections into the association’s NECOM.