Clearing agents operating at the nation’s maritime domain said they would suspend operations at the ports due to network malfunctioning and serial server issues of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Speaking with our correspondent in Lagos on Friday, the Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Kayode Farinto said that the server failures were causing increased duty payments on imported vehicles.
“We noticed this morning that there is a system error on the portal of the Nigeria Customs Service to the extent that when you make declarations, it will give you outrageous duties. I have gotten across to Customs’ headquarters and they said they have challenges with their system. Hence I want to advise that if you have not made your declarations on your job, kindly wait till Monday.”
Corroborating what Farinto said, the Ports & Terminal Multipurpose Limited, chapter Chairman of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, George Okafor said, “We cannot capture because the duties are high. Nobody directed anybody; all of us are waiting till Monday. We didn’t suspend the jobs, but we are waiting till Monday to continue. Everybody should hold on with their jobs till Monday because the whole thing is not functioning very well,” he said.
In his response, the Public Relations Officer of TinCan Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Uche Ejesieme said, “It is not an issue. It didn’t disturb much as it could act up once in a while, but it will normalise. These things are man-made technology. Once in a while, it could act up and if it acts up, it doesn’t mean calamity.
