Stop checking, detaining cargoes cleared by Customs, NSC tells Police, others

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has appealed to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and other agencies of government to stop checking or detaining containers already cleared by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) along the port corridor or inside the ports.

Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday during a Multi-Agency Stakeholders Enlightenment programme organised by the NSC in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the Executive Secretary/CEO of the NSC, Emmanuel Jime wondered why men of the Nigerian Police Force will still stop or detain a container that has already been cleared by the Customs.

According to Honourable Emmanuel Jime, “The problem we have now is that we have Customs on one side checking cargoes, and police on the other hand also checking cargoes. These are things that shouldn’t exist. If Customs clears a cargo, the Police do not have the authority to detain such cargo.

“If the police has intelligence on a cargo, they should escort the container to the final spot of discharge and then check the container right there. Congesting our ports or ports access roads with detained containers is not helping the ease of doing business at our ports.

“We see these problems every day. Every agency of government has their roles cut out for them. NPA, NSC, NAFDAC, and others, we all have our different roles cut out for us, let us look at how we can interface with each other and harmonise our operations to help facilitate trade.

“If NAFDAC flags a container that has already been cleared by SON, it shouldn’t lead to clogging of the ports access roads or port congestion. We need to harmonise our operations for the benefit of the country.”

Speaking on the economy, The Nigeria Customs Service boss stated that the “economic growth of this country is hinged primarily on export. In 2021, statistics showed that just one percent increase in Nigeria’s agricultural product’s boosted our economic growth by 25 percent.

“That means Nigeria has the potential to do much more, and we know this. However, there are two issue; impediment to access to markets, and impediments to access to finance for export.

“If we can identify the problems that prevents Nigerian farmers from having access to markets for their goods or access to finance that will enable them trade their goods in the international market, then we would have been able to move a step forward.

“We keep talking about this issues. We know them. It’s not just the shipping line charges or terminal handling charges or port charges, the issues starts from the farm right till when the goods get to the ports.

“It will be good if Nigeria drives those policies that will enable trade, both locally and internationally.” he said.

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• Oyo: Gov Makinde approves August 20 as Isese day

• Press Time Podcast: Soft Skills, Opportunities and things in-between

• Tinubu to swear in new ministers Monday

• Subsidy palliative: States get N5bn grant each from FG

• VIDEO: NGO Founder, Omodolapo, urges women to join women communities

• EDITORIAL: Nigeria’s FIFA shame