Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s platform at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, has become an abode for homeless port users. According to the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), people sleeping inside the Customs’ facility remain security threat to the port.
The issue was raised when leader of ANLCA in the West, Sir John DanKatsina Ofobike, led a delegation to the Area Controller, Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf. They commended officers of the Apapa Customs Command for their early resumption for duty and urged them to sustain the good work. Ofobike stressed that the leadership of the association was in the command to discuss areas of mutual interests. The association urged the enforcement unit of the Apapa Customs Command to address the situation, saying it was a breach of security. Also, the Chairman of ANLCA in Apapa, Dom Onyeka, told the comptroller to address some challenges being experienced by his members in the course of delivering their cargoes.
He pleaded for the minimisation of the multiple alerts placed on cargoes by the Customs. However, Yusuf explained that the rates of alerts had been reduced, pleading with Customs brokers/agents to always have their declarations right, especially correct classification and right value. The comptroller assured that tags would be introduced to control the movements of officers and agents in and out of the Apapa terminal in order to check the misuse of the platform as a night-sleeping place. However, he said that the cooperation of every one using the ports would be needed to achieve the decision.
He expressed displeasure at the crisis in ANLCA, pleading that the crisis should be resolved with the spirit of give and take. The comptroller urged members to bring down their ego and make ANLCA work for its members and the society at large. Yusuf praised ANLCA for being the best compliant organisation and advised the executives to continuously tell members to be compliant. The CAC seeks the support of ANLCA to make Apapa port a user friendly port to make every one transacting business at the Apapa port happy enough for more visits.