ANLCA Alleges Senate Of Illicit Cargo Charges, Rejects Illegal Detention Of Vessels

Worried over the illicit charges imposed on cargos at the Nigerian waters nowadays, leadership of the importers and clearing agents operating at the nation’s seaports have expressed dissatisfaction following recent directives by the Senate committee on customs to shipping companies not to release about 500 containers laden with various cargoes over allegations of trade infractions.

The national vice president, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto, said the detention order is illegal and mostly for pecuniary gains.

According to Kayode in statement made available to transportation correspondents,  any infraction noticed by the Senate committee should be communicated to the customs service and not the committee taking laws into its hand.

He said, “It is illegal for the Senate committee to write to shipping companies asking them to stop containers. Even, if they have oversight function, they should go through the Nigeria Customs Service through an internal memo.”

The National Vice President noted that one importer, Sunday Orija, who said he once had his cargo trapped at the port on the directive of the committee, accused the senators of hiding under the guise of oversight function to extort importers.

He said, “The incessant issuance of letter of stoppage of cargo from being examined and delivered out of the port by the Senate Committee on Customs is an outright usurpation of the responsibilities of Customs.

“What we know is check and balance between the legislature and the executive. But for any system to work, the legislature should know as at when they commence their work of oversight function by way of checks and balances so that they don’t just unnecessarily create a monster in the sys- tem.”

Recall that the Senate committee on Customs had written to shipping companies operating in the country to stop their release of about 500 containers over allegations of trade infractions.

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