Activities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos was Monday afternoon grounded following the introduction of a new policy by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos Airport Command.
The clearing agents also accused the command of increasing charges for the clearance of consignments at the airport.
The clearing agents in their hundreds protested the alleged directive from Mrs. Jayne Shoboiki, the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), MMA Command that all consignments must as from July 13, 2018 be on Form M.
Mr. Chris Nwabuzor, a member of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at the Lagos Airport, in an interview explained that most of the policies introduced by the CAC don’t fall into the category directed by the command.
Immediately the protest began, Customs at the command locked the long room while the leaderships of the clearing agents ordered their members to vacate the premises.
Meanwhile, clearing agents at the Lagos Airport have commenced an indefinite strike to register their grievances, vowing that they would not resume work until their grievances are addressed by the command.
Nwabuzor said: “Since this new CAC came onboard, it has been from one crisis to the other. Initially, she claimed that customs introduced new system, which would enhance clearance of cargo at the airport, but with several challenges. In fact, most of the consignments we were supposed to clear entered demurrage in the process.
“Today, the command sent out a circular that as from July 13, 2018, which is two weeks from now, all consignments, must be on Form M, which is not possible. Form M are for huge consignments, but some of our consignments do not fall into that category. For instance, if you want to clear a one kilogramme goods now, it must be on Form M.
“Even, at the seaport, car importation and clearance does not fall under Form M. how come goods of just one kilogrammme and more will now fall under this category,” he queried.
In his response, Mr. Haruna Ephraim, the command PRO, confirmed the circular, but said it was not for immediate implementation.
Ephraim, however, said that the command have put in place new machines, adding that the system recognises only those information.
He added: “We have not given any deadline, we just issued them a circular today informing them that from July 13, they should make sure all their consignments coming into the country are on Form M.
