Freight Monitor
ANLCA moves to unravel high inflow of illicit drugs from Canada

The Acting President of ANLCA, Kayode Farinto, disclosed that the association will be engaging the Canadian ambassador as regards the high influx of illicit drugs into Nigeria through the country.
He further explained that the association had written to the Canadian embassy for a meeting with the economy attaché as regards the importation of psychotropic drugs.
“We put up a letter to Canadian embassy requesting for working visit, the issue of illicit drugs and psychotropic substances from Canada was the title of the letter.
” We told the Ambassador that we need to have a meeting with him including his economic attaché because our preliminary investigation showed that some quantity of these drugs may be allowed in Canada and whether by omission or commission, some of these drugs are deliberately left in containers when they are being imported into Nigeria.
“So we want to have a discussion with the Canadian ambassador and provide a solution so that our members will not be at the receiving end anymore.

“The rate of the importation of the drugs is increasing and what Otunba Sunday Oyebola is suffering is just a professional hazard which anybody can suffer.
” We know that if he cooperates with NDLEA in unraveling the importer, he will be granted bail”
Farinto however charged all members of the association to ensure importers sign indemnity forms before going into a contractual agreement.
He noted that the association had over the time warned members to ensure the signing of the indemnity form before deciding to take up a consignment for clearance.
He confirmed that the arrested agent is a member of ANLCA, even as he disclosed that the agent wasn’t the importer of the drug but someone contracted to clear the cargo out of the Lagos Seaport and was not aware of what was hidden in the box.
According to Farinto, the name on the bill of laden clearly showed the accused agent wasn’t the importer of the consignment.
“We called this press briefing to first of all correct the erroneous impression going round that ANLCA chieftain is involved in the clearance of illicit drugs and psychotropic substance and also reiterate all our efforts in the last few months to enlighten our members on the role to play particularly in the cost of cargo clearance.
“We are collaborating with NDLEA. It’s s our responsibility.
“Otunba Sunday Oyebola is a high-ranking member of ANLCA, one of the chapter’s executives at PTML and he was involved in the clearance of a container said to contain three vehicles, but unfortunately, at the point of examination, loud and some psychotropic substances were found in that container.
“Let me say this, Otunba Sunday Oyebola is just a clearing agent, he is not the importer of the consignment, and the consignment was not consigned in his name.
“This issue is now being politicised, it is a national issue and we should have a concern as regards the safety of our environment.
“So if it is notarized you would have been seen to have done due diligence then such agent will be on the side of the law.
“If Otunba Sunday Oyebola has yielded to this advice, he would have been a friend to NDLEA now trying to assist them to unravel the importer”, the ANLCA boss noted.
The National Secretary of the association, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila posited that the man in question is not a drug dealer as being reported but a clearing agent.
He also reiterated that it’s important that clearing agents do a KYC (Know Your Customer) of their importers, which he said, will help protect agents when the need arises.
Freight Monitor
ANLCA breathes again!—–as peace returns to crisis-ridden association





The new BOT members include Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Dayo Azeez, Sir Ernest Elochukwu, Sir Dennis Okafor, Prince Ozo Chukwura, Alhaji Shamsideen Awopeju, Kingsley Offor and Mr. Eniola Igbaruola.
In the same breath, a seven-member Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) headed by Mr Alloy Anukwuru, was also inaugurated.
The committee was charged to screen and conduct elections into the executive positions(NECOM) in the association at a date to be agreed on at the next follow-up peace meeting in the next two weeks.
Likewise, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi was inaugurated as the new Patron of the association.
These developments thus signaled a new era and the end of five years of an acrimonious atmosphere in ANLCA.
The peace deal, therefore, dealt a death knell to the controversial interim NECOM.
A new era of peace and tranquility that blows a fresh breath of life to an association that was hitherto held hostage and gasping for breath after five years of suffocation.
Freight Monitor
Prince Olayiwola Shittu congratulates Tinubu as President-elect ,makes case for freight forwarders

The eyewitness reporter
Prince Olayiwola Shittu, the erstwhile National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) has appealed to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to pay special attention to the freight forwarding industry in order to revamp and rescue the otherwise thriving sector from decades of retrogressive policies.
In his congratulatory message to the President-elect, Prince Shittu who is also the Managing Director /Chief Executive officer(CEO) of Skelas Group, enjoined Tinubu to give the operators in the freight forwarding industry the needed encouragement and support to enable them to improve on the revenue collection for the Customs Service.
In the congratulatory letter, he personally signed and a copy of which was sighted by our reporter, the respected Customs broker pledged the loyalty of all the operators in the Customs brokerage industry in particular and the maritime sector in general, to the in-coming administration of the President-elect.
”On behalf of myself and my professional friends and progressive-minded Customs Brokers in the Maritime Industry, I wish to felicitate with you and your Vice President–elect, Kashim Shetimma Mustapha for your victory at the just concluded presidential election, under the umbrella of the All Progressive Congress party (APC).
”I consider it a privilege to join hundreds of millions of Nigerians home and abroad, as well as well–wishers in congratulating you on your victory in the 2023 presidential election.
”I am optimistic that at the end of the day, you will bring everybody on board for the huge rebuilding that awaits you.
”Your victory didn’t come on a platter of gold, the discerning knows that in your characteristic manner, you prepared and fought well for it, alongside like-minded progressives through painstaking strategy, commitment and years of political bridge building.
”With your antecedent as an uncommon economic builder combined with your fine leadership acumen, we are hopeful that you will pay more than a passing interest in the maritime economy, which represents a bulwark of the national economy; in view of the changing fortunes of our crude staying economic power.
”As a customs broker, I enjoin you most respectfully to consider giving the freight industry the right encouragement for operators to improve on revenue collection.
”Hitherto, revenue brokers have been left with the feeling that they don’t matter despite being the real revenue collectors in all customs trade.
”As progressive players, revenue collectors can achieve much more if your administration offers them the right encouragement through the remodeling of retrogressive policies and the retooling of the benefits dynamics plus purposeful and mutually responsible stakeholders‘ engagement that has sadly, assumed a master–servant status.
”I am confident that you hold the leadership application to driving our economy and democracy in the right direction, through unwavering commitment.
”The customs brokerage and freight industry look forward to working harmoniously with your administration to raise the bar in revenue generation through a purposeful, mutually beneficial relationship.
”Your Excellency, congratulations once again as we wish you safe and strong; and wish your Administration a resounding success on all fronts”
Freight Monitor
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