NAGAFF Unveils 100% Compliance Team In South East Zone

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has inaugurated its 100% Compliance Team in the South East Zone.

 

This was contained in a statement made available to our correspondent on Thursday, saying  the inauguration held  in Port Harcourt Rivers State.

 

Speaking at the occasion which attracted the presence of  Heads of key Government Agencies in the Industry in Port Harcourt, the National Coordinator, NAGAFF 100 % Compliance Team, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko  warned his members against sureting criminals  at the police stations and at enforcement  Units of Customs, stressing that they will not be party to any Importer who violated the extant rules’

 

”We have an understanding with the Importers Association. We have signed and agreed with each other that the Compliance Team will not intervene in matters concerning any importer who defaulted.”.

 

Alhaji Tanko who expressed satisfaction with the large  turn out of people at the inauguration ceremony including government Agencies at the Ports, remarked that it is a sign of acceptance by government, saying that the issue of compliance started with government agencies

 

He advised the newly inaugurated members to desist from involving themselves in any act that would jeopardize their business nor tarnish the image of the Compliance Team, while urging freight forwarders to  always insist on importers using their names to shift their consignment inorder to avert  the consequences.

 

”I want to advise my colleagues to desist from doing the wrong thing. Don’t use your name to shift or import any cargo with your name. Please allow the owner to shift that container with his name. Is not going to be hard for someone to open FORM ‘M’ with his name.

 

But he is doing that is because he is running away from the responsibility of that cargo; He is now pushing you to go ahead and use your name to shift container and many of them are in prison now just because of this nonsense.

 

”We are in agreement with the Importers and Shippers Association that we are not going to be party to it if they are caught. In fact, we are the ones that will fish you out. The CG of Customs is happy with what the Compliance Team is doing .

 

“We are not working alone. We are not the agitators of this compliance. We don’t have power of arrest, but we have power to speak. When we see, we say something. If you make a false declaration, We will not intervene..

 

In his speech the Customs Area Command, Port Harcourt, Garuba Y.M who described NAGAFF as partner in progress with Customs, a major stakeholder and a Key player in ports administration said the Association role in Customs revenue generation cannot be over-emphasised.

 

Garuba who was represented by DC Nwobi Albert pointed out that Customs revenue generation is based on declaration , stressed the need for honest declaration to avoid loss of revenue and seizures, while commending NAGAFF on the initiation.

 

It would be recalled that during the formal inauguration of the Team at its National Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State, in 2020, the Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam who had been stressing on  time without number  the need for freight forwarders and other freight Agents to comply strictly to the rules governing International trade by being honest in their declarations and payment of approved Customs and excise duty.

 

Dr. Aniebonam said it had become necessary  to join efforts with the government to sanitize the industry, as well as increase revenue generation of government through Nigerian Customs Service(NCS), in addition to reducing seizures of cargos by CG Strike Forces, FOU, SON, NAFDAC etc.