NAGAFF founder, Aniebonam hails NPA boss for visiting clearing agents’ formations
Leading commentator in maritime affairs and founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has hailed the reformist and leadership quality of the managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Usman.
In an interview, the retired Customs officer turned clearing agent described Usman’s thoughtful leadership in finding it necessary to visiting associations of clearing agents who actually make the money for the government.
He said without agents, it will be very difficult for the Customs to be declaring billion and trillions of naira at the end of every month because every kobo in Customs coffers came from clearing agents.
He argued that the imports of the visit include growth in working relations which will translate to making the port more efficient.
Aniebonam made it clear that “it is unpatriotic for any head of government agency to sit down in the comfort of public offices and churn out policies and directives without at least meeting with stakeholders within the first few months of office”.
Continuing, he said “It is on record that the Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Airports Authority, National Inland Waterways Authority and even the Comptroller General of Customs never thought it wise to move out to confer with the freight forwarding organized groups on the best way to overcome compliance problems which have hitherto engulfed export and import regulations of the Nigerian international trade.
To him, “The modern day administration is domiciled in the altar of public and private partnership and stakeholders engagement; delegation of duty, power and authority to the subordinates with its residual powers to reverse negative decisions, taken at any time including supervision and control of actions taken on its behalf”.
It would be recalled that NPA’s managing director recently toured all major clearing agents’ associations in Nigeria whose head offices are in Lagos including NAGAFF and ANLCA as part of her familiarization tour of shipping formations and spread of her gospel of shipping reforms.
