SNFFIEC Berates Tin Can Port ANLCA

The Save Nigeria Frieght Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition, SNFFIEC, has lampooned the leadership of Tin Can Island Ports’ Association of Nigerian Lincensed Clearing Agents, ANLCA, saying that the leadership has compromised the interests of the upcoming freight forwarders.

SNFFIEC, a pressure group protesting against extortion and corrupt practices at the ports was reacting to comments attributed  to the ANLCA Tin Can Island leadership in some national newspapers in which ANLCA told stakeholders to ignore the SNFFIEC ,calling it a faceless organisation.

National Coordinator/chairman of SNFFIEC, Chief Sic Chukwu Osita(Jnr.), told P.M.NEWS that his group staged a peaceful demonstration at the Lagos ports last month to bring to the notice of the government the extortions and corruptions the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, the service providers and shipping agencies among others are subjecting freight forwarders to.

The group which says is a pressure group was pressing for the removal of auction sales from Nigeria Customs Service, removal of Customs Federal Operations unit from the ports premises, dissolution of customs task force which they termed to be illegal, amounting to multiplicity of same departments, for NIMASA to cut down their charges on tariffs and  for shipping companies to desist from using tricks to bill freight forwarders excessively.

Others are; to stop terminal operators from using delay tacticss on clearance of cargo, reduce the number of anti-graft agencies at the ports, decongest the port road and its links, stop multiple billing and multiple taxation to save the trade unions, develop other ports to avoid constant congestions, provide parking lots for port workers and stoppage of 7% port development levy as the port has been taken over by concessionaires.

Osita said he was surprised that rather than the Customs, the NIMASA, the shippers council, service providers, shipping companies and other agencies at the port responding to the protest, it was the Tin Can Island chapter of ANLCA led by Kayode Farinto as the chairman and Barrister Ada Akpunonu as the Vice Chairman that was responded.

“When has the ANLCA, Tin Can Chapter become the mouth piece of Customs, APMT, NIMASA, NPA and shipping companies?” the chairman, SNFFIEC queried.

Osita further said the leadership of ANLCA, Tin Can Island chapter’s actions showed that they were deceitful leaders in the maritime industry.