As Nigeria Decides; Vote for NNPP If We want To Unbundle Ourselves From Slavery-Dr Aniebonam Tells Maritime Stakeholders
•Says is time for Customs career officers to be appointed as CGC
By Silas Onuoha
The Founder of New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP) Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam has called on all stakeholders in the Maritime Business, transportation, Logistics, Importers, Freight forwarding practitioners and all Agencies of government in the Maritime industry to support the NNPP Presidential flag bearer, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and ensure that he is duly elected to unbundle the industry from slavery.
In a press briefing with Journalists today at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Dr Boniface Aniebonam informed.
“The Maritime industry needs to understand that NNPP is our own and if we want to unbundle ourselves from the slavery in our industry, then this is the opportunity for us to elect our own to enable us resolve our constraints. I therefore urge you all to go out in mass to vote Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the President of Nigeria.”
Speaking further Dr Aniebonam stated that the time has come for the appointment of Comptroller General of Customs to be within Customs career officers, if Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is elected as the president of Nigeria stressing that, “Customs responsibilities are highly technical.
Dr Aniebonam identified some of the policies Senator Kwankwaso would introduce in the industry if elected during one year in office to include:
Opening Nigeria borders for cross border trade and transportation.
“The NNPP candidate, if elected, would also remove the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN) from the clutches of the Transportation Minister to be partial autonomous in line with the Act.
According to him,among the things to be done within one year in office by Kwankwaso if elected is to move CRFFN from the Ministry of Transport to Ministry of Trade and Industry to enhance revenue collection and professionalism;
Freight forwarding service under CRFFN regulation and control to go strictly professional;
To expunge the licensing regulation and control of freight forwarding practitioners from Customs law pending at the National Assembly;
To take review of the Customs laws pending at the National Assembly and ensure that it’s in tune with best practices and standards in relation to international trade facilitation.
“To remove all human element barriers occasioned by intervention forces of the government and touts along the city and federal high ways;
Seizure of trade goods must stop fortwith when presented before the customs at the examination bay designed for customs purpose;
Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to be returned to the ports and borders to join NDLEA and NAFDAC to perform their statutory duty of quality control of imported goods;
Establishment of truck terminals in partnership with private operators to service the ports in a call-up-system;
Warri port, river port ,Onitsha and other ports must be made to function with a view to decongesting Lagos ports and environs;
“The Lekki deep seaport to be linked with standard rail gauge for seamless evacuation of goods to avoid the experience in Apapa;
Never again shall any goods imported or exported from Nigeria be seized provided it is not banned and or fake product. Customs duty and inherent penalty as surcharge shall prevail;
“The port concessioning policy and performance shall be review and operators found incompetent shall have their licences;
The trade policy of 41 items barred from forex by CBN shall be reversed. This is because it is clashing with customs laws. As contained in Section 27, 28, 29 of Customs and Exercise Management Act (CEMA)”.
