In Last Minute Campaign, Aniebonam Unfolds What Kwankwaso Will Do for Maritime After One Year in Office If Elected President
DR. BONIFACE ANIEBONAM WITH PARTY MEMBERS ADDRESSING NEWSMEN ON THURSDAY MORNING...
*To appoint only career officers as CG
*Grant autonomy to customs, establish customs service commission
By Francis Ugwoke
As the campaign for the general election rounds up, the Founder of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, on Thursday unfolded 20-point development agenda for the nation’s maritime industry to be achieved in he first one year of the Presidential flag bearer, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, if elected as President come February 25.
Aniebonam who expressed strong optimism of the good chances of the party’s candidate in the presidential election said he will be there to help in moving the nation’s maritime industry forward.
He called on importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other stakeholders in the maritime industry to vote for the NNPP candidate, adding that he remains the only person who will be ready to address all the development concerns of the nation’s maritime industry.
Addressing newsmen at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, Aniebonam identified some of the policies Kwankwaso would be introducing in the industry if elected as granting of partial autonomy for the Nigeria Customs Service, establishment of Customs Service Commission and appointment of career officers within the system as Comptroller General of the Service.
He also said the NNPP candidate would be ready to open the Nigeria borders for cross border trade and transportation.
The NNPP candidate, if elected, would also remove the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN) from the clutches of the Transportation Minister to be partial autonomous in line with the Act, he said.
Among the things to be done within one year in office by Kwankwaso if elected, according to Aniebonam, include:
*Move CRFFN from the Ministry of Transport to Ministry of Trade and Industry to enhance revenue collection and professionalism;
*Freight forwarding service under CRFFN regulation and control to go strictly professional;
*To expunge the licensing regulation and control of freight forwarding practitioners from Customs law pending at the National Assembly;
*To take review of the Customs laws pending at the National Assembly and ensure that it’s in tune with best practices and standards in relation to international trade facilitation.
* To remove all human element barriers occasioned by intervention forces of the government and touts along the city and federal high ways;
*Seizure of trade goods must stop fortwith when presented before the customs at the examination bay designed for customs purpose;
*Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to be returned to the ports and borders to join NDLEA and NAFDAC to perform their statutory duty of quality control of imported goods;
*Establishment of truck terminals in partnership with private operators to service the ports in a call-up-system;
Warri port, river port of Onitsha and other ports must be made to function with a view to decongesting Lagos ports and environs;
*The Lekki deep seaport to be linked with standard rail gauge for seamless evacuation of goods to avoid the experience in Apapa;
*Never again shall any goods imported or exported from Nigeria be seized provided it is not banned and or fake product. Customs duty and inherent penalty as surcharge shall prevail;
*The port concessioning policy and performance shall be review and operators found incompetent shall have their licences;
*The trade policy of 41 items barred from forex by CBN shall be reversed. This is because it is clashing with customs laws. As contained in Section 27, 28, 29 of Customs and Exercise Management Act (CEMA)”.
Aniebonam also said the NNP administration will review the inherent law of waiver clause as contained in the cabotage law to enhance local content in its application.
He equally promised the establishment of commercial shipping and partnership with private operators, adding that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency must ensure that there are ships flying Nigerian flags to mitigate the colossal loss of revenue inherent in freight rates.
Aniebonam who called on the stakeholders to vote for the ANPP candidate said the chances of his candidate were very high.
He said that Kwankwanso will win 19 Northern states and at least five other states.
He also said his party welcomes the current monetary policy of the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria on change of currency notes, adding that it was a good policy to check buying of votes.
Aniebonam said that if importers, exporters, freight forwarders vote for NNPP, it will help in addressing many problems in the industry.
He described the NNPP candidate as a strong candidate who will change the narrative in the Saturday election.
“We have locked down the North, we are getting 19 states in the North and five more states to win the election”, Aniebonam said.
*Grant autonomy to customs, establish customs service commission
By Francis Ugwoke
As the campaign for the general election rounds up, the Founder of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, on Thursday unfolded 20-point development agenda for the nation’s maritime industry to be achieved in he first one year of the Presidential flag bearer, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, if elected as President come February 25.
Aniebonam who expressed strong optimism of the good chances of the party’s candidate in the presidential election said he will be there to help in moving the nation’s maritime industry forward.
He called on importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other stakeholders in the maritime industry to vote for the NNPP candidate, adding that he remains the only person who will be ready to address all the development concerns of the nation’s maritime industry.
Addressing newsmen at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, Aniebonam identified some of the policies Kwankwaso would be introducing in the industry if elected as granting of partial autonomy for the Nigeria Customs Service, establishment of Customs Service Commission and appointment of career officers within the system as Comptroller General of the Service.
He also said the NNPP candidate would be ready to open the Nigeria borders for cross border trade and transportation.
The NNPP candidate, if elected, would also remove the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN) from the clutches of the Transportation Minister to be partial autonomous in line with the Act, he said.
Among the things to be done within one year in office by Kwankwaso if elected, according to Aniebonam, include:
*Move CRFFN from the Ministry of Transport to Ministry of Trade and Industry to enhance revenue collection and professionalism;
*Freight forwarding service under CRFFN regulation and control to go strictly professional;
*To expunge the licensing regulation and control of freight forwarding practitioners from Customs law pending at the National Assembly;
*To take review of the Customs laws pending at the National Assembly and ensure that it’s in tune with best practices and standards in relation to international trade facilitation.
* To remove all human element barriers occasioned by intervention forces of the government and touts along the city and federal high ways;
*Seizure of trade goods must stop fortwith when presented before the customs at the examination bay designed for customs purpose;
*Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to be returned to the ports and borders to join NDLEA and NAFDAC to perform their statutory duty of quality control of imported goods;
*Establishment of truck terminals in partnership with private operators to service the ports in a call-up-system;
Warri port, river port of Onitsha and other ports must be made to function with a view to decongesting Lagos ports and environs;
*The Lekki deep seaport to be linked with standard rail gauge for seamless evacuation of goods to avoid the experience in Apapa;
*Never again shall any goods imported or exported from Nigeria be seized provided it is not banned and or fake product. Customs duty and inherent penalty as surcharge shall prevail;
*The port concessioning policy and performance shall be review and operators found incompetent shall have their licences;
*The trade policy of 41 items barred from forex by CBN shall be reversed. This is because it is clashing with customs laws. As contained in Section 27, 28, 29 of Customs and Exercise Management Act (CEMA)”.
Aniebonam also said the NNP administration will review the inherent law of waiver clause as contained in the cabotage law to enhance local content in its application.
He equally promised the establishment of commercial shipping and partnership with private operators, adding that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency must ensure that there are ships flying Nigerian flags to mitigate the colossal loss of revenue inherent in freight rates.
Aniebonam who called on the stakeholders to vote for the ANPP candidate said the chances of his candidate were very high.
He said that Kwankwanso will win 19 Northern states and at least five other states.
He also said his party welcomes the current monetary policy of the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria on change of currency notes, adding that it was a good policy to check buying of votes.
Aniebonam said that if importers, exporters, freight forwarders vote for NNPP, it will help in addressing many problems in the industry.
He described the NNPP candidate as a strong candidate who will change the narrative in the Saturday election.
“We have locked down the North, we are getting 19 states in the North and five more states to win the election”, Aniebonam said.
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
