Bishop Sunday Oyebola, ANLCA chairman, PTML.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The newly elected and sworn in chairman of the Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) branch of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA ) Bishop Sunday Oyebola has revealed the challenges that he has to contend with as the newly elected and sworn in chairman of (ANLCA). In an exclusive interview with us the chairman in his words said “We have a lot to do as this chapter has been totally bastardised, governments are supposed to be a continuum, but there is nothing here to build on as the foundation has been destroyed. We need to start afresh and rebuild the foundation”.
He says that sooner or later everything will be revealed, and that the chapter has been more or less a volatile area and so needs a whole lot of training and seminar and reorientation for members to understand their roles as licensed customs agents and people who give services to the populace.
Bishop Oyebola also added that the Customs Officers should also clearly understand the important roles that agents do play and try and show them the needed respect while dealing with then. He continued by saying that Licensed Customs Agents and the Customs themselves are partners in progress and so there should be mutual respect for each other. He said that the Agents act as middlemen between the importers and the Customs and should be given the due regard when carrying out their duties, because the Customs can not do the work of Agents.
The chairman said that the fact that the PTML is the largest roll in roll out terminal in Nigeria has nothing to do with the volatility within the area, but emphasised the need for continued upgrade in terms of knowledge and the use of technology by all concerned in all activities within the terminal area.
He commended the Federal Government for introducing the call up system to stem the problematic traffic gridlock through the use of the eto software for the call ups.
Mr. Lamin Aliyu , Vice chairman of the PTML chapter of ANLCA.
On his part the Vice Chairman of the chapter, Mr. Lamin Aliyu, said that as regards import, that it is only in Nigeria that the process of clearing imported items are made so cumbersome. He said that a situation where you have letters blocking your imports and then require to get letters of clearance from so many government agencies in other to clear goods is not friendly to business and again, it is only in Nigeria that you pay the highest duty on same items. In some other countries, you pay a lower duty on newer cars and pay higher duties on older cars, but the inverse is the case her. He admonished the government to make the processes easier and cheaper. On why the government is more interested in revenue generation than service, he said that ” It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this position, this quest for cash is inspired by corruption by individuals who manipulate the instrument of governance to make personal gains from the system”.
