ANLCA Demands N200 Billion Compensation  From GT Bank Over Demurrage, Storage Quagmire 

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has called for the payment of over N200 billion compensation on demurrage and storage charges incurred by customs brokers and freight forwarders as a result of Guarantee Trust Bank suspension owing to alleged non remittance of import duty collected on behalf of the federal government .

The foremost customs brokers association insisted that nationally it’s members have lost about N200 billion in the line of duty.

Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday on behalf of the association, the National Secretary of ANLCA, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila expressed dissatisfaction over management of GTB slow responses on the suspension with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Mukaila noted that the association was aware that NCS gave GTBank two weeks notice to resolve their challenges.

The scribe maintained that despite the marching order from the Service, GTB has not resolved the issue or make alternative arrangement for the interest of their clients.

The ANLCA chieftain stated that its members won’t bear the cost of demurrage incurred while pressing it in  that they are not ready to let go of the losses.

He argued that in the past, some banks have had similar problems but quickly appointed a receiver bank pending the resolution of the matter.

Mukaila stressed that the approach of the Gtbank  amounts to negligence on their part adding that ” Where there is negligence, someone or group suffers the detriment and as such in every detriment there must be compensation.

He reiterated that the aims and objectives of the association is to protect its members while asking the bank officials how they intend to mitigate the losses.

Other members of the association in attendance also took turn to  condemn the bank’s attitude and concluded that there will be no stand down on demand for adequate compensation.

Responding, the representative of GTbank  Lanre Kola-Banjo apologised to the customs brokers while explaining that  the problem was as a result of technical fault from the server.

He however debunked the notion that they were given 2 weeks notice. He said to the contrary, they woke up one morning only to discover that they had been disconnected.

He said that they have contacted their customers who were directly involved, apologised and explained the circumstance to them.

He further explained that it was after they had been suspended from accessing the NCS portal that they were given 2 weeks to fix the technical problem or face serious sanction. He said that the problem has since been resolved since the 9th September.

He promised to take the association demands to the top management of the bank for further action.

He quickly added that it is not about apologising to the importers but the issue is that, it is the Customs Brokers that are at the receiving end because they are in contract with importers and not concerned with demurrage and storage  charges.