The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has decried the incessant seizures and detention of haulage laden trucks by men of the Federal Operative Units (FOU) Zone , Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja Lagos, calling on the incoming government to appoint the next Comptroller General from the system.
AMATO lamented that the current management of Customs has made many investors in the maritime haulage investors to undergo depression and lost of businesses due to the arbitrary detention of trucks cross customs formations,units and commands in the country.
Recall that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration appointment a retired Army chief as Comptroller General of Customs who many described as setbacks.
The truckers lamented that Hameed Ali administration was unfavourable for truck owners noting that the situation was not as bad as what currently obtained since his appointment.
Speaking in Lagos, Secretary General of AMATO, Comrade Mohammed Bala Sanni in a chat on the sidelines at a programme put together by Convention Business Integrity CBI and Maritime Anti Corruption Network (MACN), lamented that the customs made some of their members to be out business adding that over 100 of members trucks are under detention is customs formations nationwide.
“We have issues with the Nigeria customs Service because as transporters we are ordinary carriers of goods and cargoes. We are only invited into the port terminals to come lift consignments.
“Customs and other regulatory agencies at the port terminals carry out their responsibilities to examine the goods before been cleared.
“But its unfortunate that after the release of the consignments out of the port terminals, customs will still waylay our trucks along the highways.
“The FOU men have arrested over 100trucks across customs formations across the country over issues of contraband which we don’t know anything about.
“We are innocent in this case because it is assumed that customs have done their examination at the port and why should we be held liable for offences that we know nothing about.
He alleged that importers and freight agents responsible for the consignments should be held accountable on any questionable consignments, adding that AMATO has continued to engage government agencies on the best way to resolve the challenges faced by truckers.
According to him, the Nigerian Shipper’s Council on behalf of truckers have continued to engage management of the service in furtherance to look inward in resolving the issues bothering trucking business within the port corridors.
Bala reiterated that AMATO will continue to engage government agencies constructively on the best way in resolving the challenges of impounding members truck by customs personnel.
By Roland Ekama
