By Oziegbe Okoeki
A major stakeholder in the aviation and maritime sector, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has raised alarm over clandestine moves by some forces in the presidency to concession the operations of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) for selfish purpose.
Reacting to the development at a press briefing yesterday at Ikeja, National President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite said it is a conspiracy between some people in the presidency and some private firms to take over the operations of NCS “under the guise of digitalisation and modernisation.
He said the target is the CIS which is a scheme all importers pay taxes into and huge pool of funds which those involved plan to share with the concessioning firms.
He wondered why NCS should be concessioned now when the service has been doing tremendously well since Col. Hammed Ali (rtd) took over as the Comptroller General even surpassing projected revenue.
He said, “Upon investigation we discovered that the move is not in the national interest, but to fulfil the selfish aim of some criminal elements that are misinforming and misleading President Muhammadu Buhari in order to turn our beloved country, Nigeria to their private business empire.
Ogunojemite said it is most disturbing because the National Assembly was not carried along in the whole arrangements as against two earlier attempts in 2011 and 2017 to do same which was rejected by NASS.
He identified three companies: Bionica Technologies West Africa Ltd., Bergman Security Consultant & Supplies Ltd and Africa Finance Corporation and Huawei Nig Ltd, “who have been contracted to operate, share and loot our national asset” from November when the agreements is expected to come into operation.”
On the 10th October, a member of the House of Representatives representing Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal constituency, Hon. Jerry Alaogbaoso had raised a motion on the floor of the House, which has since gone viral on social media, calling for a stoppage of the concession as well as investigation and wondering why the National Assembly was not informed as against other agencies and ministries who were duly informed.
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