By Innocent Orok
The Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS) led by Acting Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi has assured the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) of collaboration and robust training programmes for it’s members
The Acting CGC gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the newly elected National Executive Committee (NECOM) members of the association led by its National President, Emenike Nwokeoji, BOT chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha and members of Customs Consultative Council (CCC) led by Aare Hakeem Olarenwaju on Wednesday 20th September to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) management at the Service Headquarters in Abuja.
The visit is the first in eight years where an organised ANLCA executives have visited the Management of the NCS.
According to a press statement by Emmanuel Onyeme, the National Public Secretary of ANLCA, the Customs Consultative Council led by its Chairman, Aare Hakeem Olarenwaju led the delegation.
In his opening speech, the Chairman of the CCC, Aare Hakeem Olarenwaju congratulated the Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR for his appointment and wish him success during his tenure.
Olarenwaju said they were at the Customs Headquarters to officially introduced the new ANLCA NECOM to the Customs Management , saying that the CCC has finally brought back peace to the ANLCA by conducting the NECOM election which is adjudged to be the best in all ANLCA elections.
On his part, the Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, while congratulating the new Customs boss, pay glowing tribute to late CGC of the Service, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, saying in over five years of the ANLCA crises, the association can return back to their National Secretariat, which according to him, the late Dikko contributed 70% to the building.
Mustapha said they are here to identify with the Customs Management, emphasising that is a good thing the Customs have a new Management, just like ANLCA and assured that what ANLCA has lost in the last five years will be regained soon.
Congratulating the Acting CGC, Mustapha said “with your character you will succeed. ANLCA is reborn and we are sure to regain our lost glory” . He also thanked the CCC for the role they played in bringing lasting peace to ANLCA.
Speaking also, the National President of ANLCA, Emenike Nwokeoji thanked the Acting CGC and his Management team for the warm reception. Going memory lane, Emenike said when he lost election in 2018 as a sitting Vice President with only three votes, he never went to court, but went back to his business.
He said bridge building has stated, he appeal to the new Acting CGC to dedicate few members of his Management team where , when they have issues they can sit together to resolved it, in the absence of the CG .
” We appeal to you our CGC to dedicate one or two members of your management team, if we cannot reach you, we can sit with them to resolve issues. We don’t want to wash our dirty linen outside”.
The ANLCA National President also thanked the CGC for releasing 33 licences of ANLCA members which was hacked by fraudulent people and further seek for the release of other innocent ones that are still remaining.
On his part, Austen Warikoruo, a retired DCG and member of the CCC inform the Customs Management that the ANLCA will conduct it’s Board of Trustees election within the next two months and urged all ANLCA members to get prepared.
Responding, the Acting CGC of Customs, Wale Adeniyi first congratulated the ANLCA NECOM members, saying this is the first time in the last eight years an organised ANLCA executives have paid a courtesy visit to the Customs Headquarters.
Adeniyi said, the Service needs a Credeble platform for stakeholders engagement. He thanked the CCC for doing a good job , despite the challenges. He call for standing ovation for the CCC.
The Customs boss urged the new ANLCA NECOM to get to work and bring sanity to the association and the profession. He said the success of the ANLCA NECOM election has laid the foundation for stakeholders engagement by the Service.
Adeniyi assured that there will be robust training programmes for the Customs Agents. On the issuance of licenses, he said henceforth, any Customs license involved in fraudulent jobs will not be renewed, while all renewed licenses will be placed and viewed in a platform for all to see.
In the same vain, all active and performing licenses will remain in the platform, while for those who just obtain license without using them will be relegated.
Adeniyi said there are a lot of incentives for importers in the new Customs Act, among them, Advance Ruling on Valuation, Classifications which importers can enjoy for six months. Authorized Economic Operator ( AEO) which profiled importers can enjoy among others.
The Acting CGC uses the opportunity to inform the Customs Agents that the yearly Annual Comptroller General Conference will come back from this year 2023.
The visit was attended by all the newly elected members of ANLCA NECOM and CCC members.
