Laments lack of Federal Government Intervention In Maritime Sector

Calls for Interest free/single digit loans for Maritime Operators

Inaugurate New Chapters and  Salute Nigeria @ 60

Hon. Tony Iju-Nwabunike
National President, ANLCA

National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike   has reemphasized that the association won’t succumb to distractions, intimidations and discouragement by trouble shooters in the guise of elders.

The ANLCA boss made this statement while inaugurating the newly appointed interim executives of the Muritala Muhammad international airport chapter of the Association in Lagos on Tuesday.

He remind the new exco of the task ahead of them and urged them to take their duties and functions seriously.

He said in the next few weeks all ANLCA chapters would have their elections, the board also will come stream and this pronouncement by the President received a thunderous applause from the audience.

“ANLCA is growing very fast and we won’t be distracted by crisis. Don’t allow anyone to intimidate you, if you have any constitutional issues call us, it’s not your problem. You have been appointed for a period of 90 days and if you discharge your duties creditably, you would be entitled for elections for 3 years tenure.”

Hon. Nwabunike told the excos that ANLCA seem to have crisis because promotion is rapid, members are given leadership positions to the chagrin of detractors.

The new MM international Airport chapter Chairman Dr. Olisaemeka Ugwunze  on behalf of his excos expressed gratitude to the President and NECOM for giving them the opportunity to function as they pledged their loyalty and support to NECOM.

In his words “My colleagues would be encouraged to work assiduously for the interest of our Association, realizing that without them I alone won’t do much. The first step is to plan and support our plans with actions which would ultimately produce result.”

Recall that ANLCA two chapters were also inaugurated in Abuja and Kano by the National President.

Nigeria @ 60

In his goodwill message, Hon Nwabunike urge Nigerians to remain steadfast and reflect on the many untapped potentials of Nigeria.

He charged clearing agents to see themselves as part of the move to diversify Africa’s largest economy from a totally oil dependent country to a viable country making sustainable revenue from non-oil sector.

In a message sent to us, the ANLCA President said “Our roles in the import, export and supply chain management has made us critical contributors to government revenue drive of attaining over N4 trillion by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and supporting the Nigeria  Customs Service in sustaining it’s N1trillion yearly collection”

“Our sector holds the capacity for 50,000 direct and ancillary employments from the ports, airports, border stations, delivery chain linking warehouses and market, if properly harnessed.

While I call on our members and professionals in our line of business to keep up their patriotic acts of engaging only in legitimate deals and prompt payment of taxes to government, it also rests on the Nigerian State to give us support.

We have heard and seen Federal Government interventions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry (BoI) to private sector businesses improving on their viability and sustainability.

No such programme has been designed for us in the freight forwarding and logistics sector of our economy.

“Aside not getting any form of palliative from government, there is no offer of single digit loan by government tailored towards our needs in procuring trucks, maintaining warehouses, investing in logistics aided technology like tracking devises and fleet of motorcycles for E-commerce transactions in a state of difficult traffic situation as what we experience in Lagos.

We call on the Federal Ministries of Finance, Transport, Trade and Industry, CBN, NCS and others to see us as professionals deserving of state support, not only as potential tax payers because the likely quake or collapse of our sector will adversely affect the country”.