Familiarise yourselves with the NCS Act 2023, ANLCA President urges Agents

By Abiodun OBA

Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents have been admonished to familiarise themselves with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and do the right thing.

The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Mr Emenike Nwokeoji gave the advice when members of the Abia Freight Forwarders Association paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Port Harcourt the Rivers state.

Nwokeoji reiterated the need for compliance with the Act so as to ensure smooth operations at the ports.

According to him, for agents to enjoy freight Forwarding business, they should stop taking risks for importers by engaging in wrong Valuation, classification and declaration of imported goods insisting that such practices have put agents in a great risks.

ANLCA president who expressed happiness for the visit said, “please read the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, very well and do the right thing. Don’t take risks for importers, the level of risks we are taking for importers is much and I don’t think its worth it” Nwokeoji insisted.

On multiple alerts on exiting containers by the Customs and other alleged unwholesome practices by some government agencies at the ports, Nwokeoji disclosed that he had concluded discussion on same with the Onne customs Command for a central alert system.

He promised to engage other agencies like the SON, NAFDAC among others on the need to ensure a seamless operations at the Nigerian Ports.

The ANLCA boss also commended the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Wale Adeniyi (MFR) for the recognition accorded ANLCA at the recently concluded Comptroller General of Customs Conference 2023 which took place at the Continental Hotel in Lagos.

The Customs CG he said, demonstrated the level of harmonious relationship existing between the Nigeria Customs Service and ANLCA.

Earlier, Abia Freight Forwarders Association President, Chief Ijere Ibiam Eleanya stated that it would not be proper for them to wait till next year before visiting the National president, noting that as his brothers they should show solidarity and also as foot solders, ensure he did not derail in his mandate to return ANLCA to her lost glory.

On his achievements so far as the visit coincided with the President’s 100 days in office, Eleanya said that the President has done well. “I give him 80%.

“This Association was engulfed in a very serious crisis for a long time. It is like reconstructing a dilapidated house. And the president has been going round to unite everybody in the Association and in no distance time, all his efforts will begin to manifest.”

Eleanya pointed out that he was looking forward to a vibrant association where every member will be happy even as he praised him for a robust harmonious relationship with Customs and other agencies at the Ports in two years.

In his Contribution, Rtn Chukwu Nnanna of Prestige Associates and member Abia Freight Forwarders Association while speaking to journalists on the side line of the event, stated that they were happy to visit the National President who has been busy since his assumption of office 100 days ago trying to rebuild what he termed a crisis ridden ANLCA.

On his performance so far, Nnanna who is also a member of the Eastern zonal presidential committee on Government agencies noted that “it has not been easy, you know the National president inherited an Association in chaos, yes, ANLCA was in a very turbulent time before he assumed office, but, I thank God, he is uniting ANLCA and bringing the lost respect and glory of the Association.

“Customs and other relevant agencies at the Ports are now seeing ANLCA as partners in progress than the previous years when the Association was relegated to the background, I see it as a very big achievement and in the next two years, it will be uhuru for ANLCA”.

He enjoined every member of the association to rally round the National president for him to achieve his goals of reshaping the association to the part of greatness.