National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Mr Emenike Nwokeoji last week Thursday led the National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the Association on a courtesy visit to the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Lagos.
The ANLCA team was received by the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christiana Modupe Adeyeye and her management team.
In a statement issued at the weekend by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the ANLCA President, Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman, the NAFDAC DG lamented the prevailing act of forgery of the agency’ export certificates by some unscrupulous importers and agents.
Prof. Adeyeye charged ANLCA to be the rallying point for all other associations in the freight industry, and ensure dignity and transparency among the stakeholders.
While highlighting the major areas of concentration at the meeting, Sulaiman said “The meeting centered on areas where bottleneck and challenges were obvious in cargo clearance operations with serious emphasis by our president Mr Emenike Nwokeoji.
The areas includes:-“ Conflict of intrest during examination of consignments between NAFDAC and SON ( Standard Organization of Nigeria) where Agents have to go through double standard in the hand of both regulator’s, the DG responded positively that ,this will still be seriously looked into, because over 100 product regulations were conceded to SON for regulations in the past for harmonious relationship and not to suffer Agents unjustly .
“ Monopoly of product without capacity by some die hard importers, which will also be streamlined according to the DG.
Mr President further asked NAFDAC to conduct workshop, and seminars periodically for our members to empower them on the new operational procedures of NAFDAC as it concern port operations.
Mr President also requested to know why CRIA payment for products coming from China and India are usually paid with foreign currencies, NAFDAC responded that the payment are usually meant for their foreign counterparts that carry out the product inspection and product radiation.
While asking NAFDAC to do more on rejection of export products by countries of destination., ANLCA further requested for more synergy between NAFDAC and ANLCA members.
“However, NAFDAC DG Prof. Adeyeye in her opening speech eulogized ANLCA for standing tall and to have gone this far despite some challenges since 1954, as she also appreciated the relationship and cooperation enjoyed so far between NAFDAC and ANLCA,
She reiterated her willingness to extend her office cooperation as before but ‘we must preach compliance and due process to our various importers because we see more than the agency during cargo clearance procedures while quarrying why Nigerians cannot protect Nigeria’s image both home and in diaspora.
“She promised that once we are in tandem with the regulations, the regulatory body will be on our side come rain come shine.
“She specifically asked for a robust interpersonal day to day relationship with our President, to oil the tools of trade facilitation and promised that her door is open to Mr President to correct various negative impressions by unscrupulous elements that never wish the country well.“On export challenges, she frowned at those that collaborate with some people to forge various NAFDAC certificates and permit which constitutes the major reasons why foreign receivers reject our export products, that export products must go through the process of certification by NAFDAC.
