NAN-HE-3
By Bolaji Buhari
Inspection
Lagos, Dec.15, 2016 (NAN) The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has decried the insistence of police to inspect containers after clearance by the Nigeria Customs Service at the ports.
Mr Stanley Ezenga, the National Publicity Secretary of NAGAFF, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that the practice was “an aberration’’.
He was reacting to insistence by the Maritime Police Command, Obalende, that its officers would continue to check containers, even after clearance by customs from the port.
The command`s spokesman, Mr Tunde Sodiq, had said that police would continue to check containers to ensure that they do not carry consignments that compromise the nation`s security.
Ezenga said that subjecting containers to inspection by the police after they had been released from the port, under whatever guise, was usurpation of the customs’ function.
He said with the police’s action, it means they did not have confidence in the customs to do proper examination of containers coming out of the port.
“The customs is statutorily empowered to inspect and clear containers at the port and then release such, if nothing illicit is found on them.
“This is very clear, and I do not know why police have taken it upon themselves to do the same after such containers had been cleared by customs.
“What this means is that the police do not have faith in the customs to properly inspect containers.
“This, we think is unnecessary as some police officers are doing that to extort the importers,“ he said.
Ezenga urged the customs to be up and doing in the area of monitoring and inspection of containers, so as not to give police the excuse for usurping its functions. (NAN)
BHB/EAL/GOK
Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/Olagoke Olatoye