The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has described the appointment of retired Col. Hammed Ali as the Comptroller General of Customs as a welcome development.
Speaking to newsmen after the association’s executive committee’s meeting in Lagos yesterday, National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Kayode Farinto said Ali’s appointment initially came as a shock to the association.
He said since the appointment was the decision of the President, there is a likelihood that President Muhammadu Buhari may want to overhaul the entire NCS management which he said could only be done by an ‘outsider’.
“He is welcome and we are in support of what the government has done because selection or appointment of the Comptroller General of Customs is the responsibility of the President.
“We believe his stay in office will be very short because he is not a customs officer and for the President to have appointed him, I am sure he is coming for intervention maybe that which will not be more than 90 days to correct some anomalies and hand over to a customs officer but we don’t know the mind of the President,” Farinto said.
On the planned reintroduction of Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) by the Nigerian Shippers Council, Farinto said the association has promised to support it on conditions that it will be at no cost to shippers.
By Pita Ochai
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