ICPC Announces Crackdown On Corruption At Lagos Seaports, Admonishes Freight Forwarders Against Bribery

By Roland Ekama 

Commissioner, Independent Corrupt and Other related Practices Commission (ICPC ) Lagos State , Chukwurah Alexander has cautioned freight forwarders and other logistics service providers in the maritime sector to stop any form of bribery between private sector operators and government agencies.

Alexander gave the charge on Tuesday in Lagos during his remarks at a one day public enlightenment and awareness workshop put together by the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in collaboration with the anti graft agency in Lagos.

According to him, monies exchange hands between government agencies and operators at the seaports is a crime but warmed that the bribery can only thrive when the there is a giver and receiver.

He noted that corruption at the ports is not limited to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service but maintained that the freight forwarders and other operators are corrupt for giving out willingly.

He promised to jail anyone who give or receive bribes at the ports adding that his team has already device means to tackle crime related activities at the port.

He warned freight forwarders not to engage themselves in any form of “Willingly ” giving to government officials at the ports.

Alexander added that agents whose consignments are held by any government agency unjustly should report the matter to ICPC office in Lagos State and see the next line of actions.

The commissioner added that intelligence gathering and information sharing are part of the ethics of the job noting that there is no going back to fighting corruption in the ports.

 

He further called on freight forwarders to shun bribery, corruption, and any other crime related practices , while pointing out that stakeholders engagement is ongoing to address issues of corruption at the ports.

The commissioner called on stakeholders to join forces with the ICPC team to fight corruption from port operations.

Founder of NAGAFF,Dr. Boniface Aniebonam stated that the summit is focused on the betterment of the country, calling on stakeholders to respect the laws in line Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

Aniebonam, noted that ICPC is a strategic partners with NAGAFF in fighting corruption in the industry, adding that members of the umbrella body of freight forwarders in Nigeria are patriotic towards reducing corruption at the ports.

“It is our duty to support the agencies of government like ICPC to get rid of corruption from the ports,”Aniebonam noted.

He called on the trading public to comply to the rules of engagement in trade

Earlier, Chief Increase O. Uche, RFF, National Coordinator of FAVFFN, who highlighted the longstanding partnership between NAGAFF and ICPC that dates back to 2005, emphasized the critical role of the workshop in rebuilding this alliance and addressing increasing corruption challenges in the freight forwarding sector.

 

Chief Uche said “NAGAFF stands as a professional umbrella body representing over 5,000 members nationwide across seaports, airports, and land borders, and we remain committed to transparency and accountability in our operations,” he said.

He said ”The workshop agenda focused on equipping members with knowledge on preventing corrupt practices in vital processes such as trade inquiries, Form “M” declarations, cargo declarations, customs examination, inspection acts, post-clearance audits, and terminal delivery.”

Uche stressed that the efforts are supported by the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which offers legal protection to whistleblowers and champions a system-wide approach targeting the supply and demand sides of corruption.

“With the expertise of our resource persons, we aim to significantly reduce corruption in freight documentation and clearance, thereby enhancing Nigeria’s economic growth and development,” he said.

The event marks a renewed milestone in NAGAFF’s unwavering commitment to combat corruption and ensure integrity throughout the nation’s freight forwarding industry.

The workshop concluded with expressions of readiness among the Vanguards to apply the knowledge gained for effective anti-corruption reporting and compliance.