Freight Forwarders Commend CBN for Lifting FOREX Restriction on 43 Items, Appeal for Presidential Amnesty on Seized Rice, Others
• Release of seized goods will serve as palliatives to cushion effect of fuel subsidy – Aniebonam
By Francis Ugwoke
Freight Forwarders weekend appealed to the federal government to grant presidential amnesty to release billions of Naira worth of rice and other trade goods which were seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The freight forwarders who commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the decision to lift the restriction placed on foreign exchange to importers of rice and other 42 items, said there was the need to also to release such seized goods.
Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said some of the seizures were the “consequences of ill and inappropriate actions of the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele during his tenure”.
Aniebonam said it was a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose administration has come to right the wrongs.
In an open letter, Aniebonam urged Minister of Finance and Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, to approach Mr President to “grant amnesty
to all the people that their goods were seized and still within the custody of the customs to take delivery of their imports”.
He added, “This is because the Customs do not have reasons to seize such goods in the first instance . The goods were not banned and never breached customs laws and or trade policy.
“We want to believe that the rightful owners will want and be ready to pay appropriate customs duty and any other surcharge thereto and take delivery of their goods. It is even to the advantage of revenue due to the government than sale of auction.
“Above all Nigerians shall be most grateful to Mr President listening to the yearnings of suffering Nigerians. This is equally a most appropriate opportunity to cushion the effect of oil subsidy”.
Aniebonam blamed the former CBN governor for the policy on 43 items, adding that it was nothing other than abuse of power.
He added, “Hon minister sir, it is common to understand that human beings are prone to mistakes, even though in the case Mr Godwin Emefiele, it is nothing other than abuse of power and corruption. It is to us that government must take responsibility to reverse itself and leverage the avoidable loss of investments by innocent investors and shippers of rice importation and related 43 items of trade goods”
Part of the open letter reads:
Hon minister let us briefly take you to the atrocities committed by Mr Godwin Emefiele and the immediate past comptroller General of the Nigeria customs service col Hamid Ibrahim Ali. In the case of Mr Godwin Emefiele he had no reasons not to contact the customs board to advise him on the subject matter of delisting rice importation and the 43 items from forex benefits in relation to customs laws. If he did it is our belief that the customs would have advised him most appropriately and professionally.
On the part of the customs it is most unfortunate that the former customs boss had a limited knowledge about customs matters and international trade. Even when his attention was drawn to the provisions of the customs laws trade matters his mind was already made to seize rice importation INPARTICULAR .
“Hon minister sir, it is a fact that rice and the 43 items delisted from forex benefits are not among goods fallen under prohibition list and or absolute prohibition. Indeed it is also a fact every import into Nigeria must have a registered form M in any of the authorised commercial bank for the purposes of trade data and statistics.
“But here again the extant law of the Nigeria customs service is superior to executive order of Mr Godwin Emefiele seating at CBN. Under CEMA the provisions for remedy are provided under the circumstances. Please see section 27 of the Customs and Excise Management Act as amended then.
“Under this section the Nigeria customs service has the powers to deal with imports whose documentation is incomplete and penalty thereto applied . The situation was so simple to mitigate noting that destination inspection trade policy is in force. This is coupled with the fact that the pre arrival assessment report of the customs is advisory.
“And so there were no reasons to confiscate and seize rice imports and the 43 items of innocent traders. Indeed we all know the existence of bill for collection in our foreign trade transactions . Hon minister why are we so wicked to each other and or just to show power and authority”.
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