ANLCA secures release of seized practicing licenses of members from Customs

By Dapo Olawuni

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has recorded success in ensuring that some of the over 300 clearing licenses impounded by the Nigeria Customs Service were released by to her members.

The licenses which belong to members of ANLCA including that of its National President, were suspended for allegedly being hacked and used to smuggle vehicles out of the port.

But speaking with our correspondent, National President of ANLCA, Tony Iju Nwabunike confirmed that about 80% of the clearing licenses have so far been released back to his members.

He assured that the association is not resting on its oars in ensuring that it secures full release of all the licenses.

He explained that the association was on the same page with the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali, whom he said was interacting well with ANLCA.

Speaking, he said “This time around, the CG is interacting with us and he is doing well, the issue is very clear, the problems at the port are very enormous and we are taking them one after the other”

“Almost 80% of our seized licenses have been released, and I am very sure that the CG after scrutinising the remaining ones would release the rest of them, he is actually doing very well”

“In the areas of our relationship with Customs, it is becoming more cordial.
Don’t forget that I have not been around because I went for elections, and this time around, they are very willing to work with us, because what Customs really need is a practical and genuine reason why they must work with you, and if you do that, they are ready to work with you”

“What we are also trying to do now is to streamline the units at the port so that we would not have multiplicity of units in the port. If for example it is necessary, we would now let them know the areas it is affecting us, we talk about it like husband and wife”

Zonal Coordinator of Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Kaycee Ekekezie who visited ANLCA Secretariat recently advised licensed customs agents to always change their password codes immediately they are given by the customs.

According to her, 70% of the cases of password hacking were successfully carried out on default passwords.

“Those fraudsters hacking your password are there at Nnewi Building, you better be careful. Another thing is that you might be shocked that it is your boys that are doing this thing.
It is true that we have minimized it to a certain extent, but going to the public DTI is what has affected most of you”

“You will see somebody who has not even utilised his DTI for once, it is the system that generates the code of your password. Once the password is given, you need to go back and change it, the same way you change the password of your ATM, when you go to a bank and collect an ATM, when you step out, you have to change it, if not, it would remain a default”

“70% of the cases we have treated were committed on default password”
“If you come to us to complain that your password was hacked to clear a vehicle, you become our first suspect, you are the one we gave the password and you must prove to us that you did not intentionally give it out” she warned