The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called on the Federal Government to fast track its engagement with neighbouring countries in order to re-open the nation’s border to business.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos recently, Boniface Aniebonam, founder of NAGAFF, said while the association supports the decision to close the nation’s land border, that there was need for government to put in place sustainable measures to effectively police the borders.
According to him, smuggling of rice still thrives as contraband goods continue to find their way into the markets with smugglers devising new means including the use of motorcycles and camels to ferry goods into the country.
“We are asking government to fast forward the engagement and reduce the tension at the borders. Hunger has no bounds and our borders are so porous. If we allow this to continue, and we are not careful, government may end up losing more,” he warned.
Continuing, Aniebonam stated that, “Our neighbours must be brought to round table to discuss those things that made government to shut down the borders for the public interest,” he advised.
According to him, the authorities should be able to take care and protect the borders but it becomes more disturbing when neighbours are not respecting the rules of engagement on transit cargo.
Recall that the Federal Government had in November 2019 extended the duration of the border drill exercise to January 31st following an earlier closure in August as part of efforts aimed at reducing smuggling of foreign rice, arms and ammunition, and other contraband goods into the country.
Aniebonam also warned freight forwarders against making false declaration to avoid their goods being seized by Customs, stating that the major problem in the cargo clearance process, was improper documentation by agents.
“Now, the revenue target for Customs in 2020 is higher than what they had in 2019, it means that Customs will do things differently, and this calls for concern that agents must try as much as possible to be honest in whatever they do,” he said.
