Dr. Kayode Colin Farinto, Md, Wealthy Honey Invest. Nig. Ltd and the Vice President of ANLCA.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The neverending story of the crisis that has been rocking the apex Customs Brokerage Association in Nigeria, the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is snowballing into personal attacks and character assassination and is worsening the relationships among members who are loyal to the national President of the association, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike on one side and some erstwhile members of the board of trustees hitherto led by Mr. Taiwo Mustapha on the other.
It was reported in an online news medium a few days ago where Mr. Mustapha made a scathing remark on the person of the vice president of the Association, Dr. Kayode Farinto as he made allusions to the effect that Dr. Farinto only critises the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service so vehemently because they have in his words ‘blocked all the loopholes where Dr. Farinto makes his money from’.
Dr. Farinto in a press conference spoke about the general crisis within the Association and especially made references to two things, the anticipated ‘election’ by the out gone board of trustees members who are still holding on to power with claims of being the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registered BOT as he also spoke about the aspersions cast on his person by Mr. Mustapha. Dr. Farinto said that by virtue of the mandate given by members at the review of the Association’s Constitution, the tenure of the national executive committee of the association as led by the President has been increased to just one five-year tenure and which translates to the tenure of Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike led administration elapsing now on the 18th of April 2023 instead of the 18th of April 2022.
Dr. Farinto says that the verbal attacks on his person by Mr. Mustapha is nothing but the ranting of an ant and of no consequence as he said that his company has always been profiled by the Nigeria Customs Service and he has never been found wanting. He says that his life of advocacy comes with all manner of hazards as represented by his various experiences in the hands of some government agents and individuals who cannot see the kind of damage that their lack of sense of propriety and lack of the knowledge of modern ways of operating within the system are causing the nation. He stoutly defends his over twenty years of experience in the industry and says that his integrity has kept him going, but on the other hand decried the activities of those he calls the ‘camp boys’ who he says are always there to play the spoilers in order to do the bidding of their masters who they front for. He reiterated that Mr. Mustapha and some of his cohorts have been expelled from the Association as it stands and therefore has no ground to talk about conducting any election in ANLCA.
On the issue of the functions of the economic regulator of the Shipping activities in Nigeria, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Farinto says that the effect of Covid-19 Pandemic has brought out a lot of things in the world that tasks the economic survival of a lot of people. The various charges that have been slammed on the Nigerian importers which are issues of legal battles these days and a lot more have not elicited the kind of action that would make it seem that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is criticising the Nigeria Customs Service for any of their anomalies. “I have always maintained that the Nigeria Customs Service as is presently constituted is not facilitating trade. The World Customs Organisation says that one of the things that make for an efficient Customs Service is predictability and of course that is non-existent in our Customs Service. As a Shipper, when you bring in goods, the Customs subjects your cargo to an internet value and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has never condemned this practice knowing fully that we have the valuation act which is a domesticated local law”. He said that these are some of the things that the Nigerian Shippers expect from the economic regulator, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. They must protect the Nigerian Shippers as we are loosing cargoes to the neighbouring countries.
Dr. Farinto rates the NSC as performing “below 50% of the expected standard even though we can say that there has been slight improvement in their performance over the years. The Nigerian Shipper is not just well protected and so I will say that they have not done well”. He added.
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