The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), has threatened to embark on a one-day warning strike on April 25, over the introduction of 15 per cent National Automotive Council (NAC) levy.
Alhaji Rilwan Amuni, Taskforce Chairman of ANLCA, said this in a circular obtained by the newsmen on Friday in Lagos.
The levy was recently introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on used imported vehicles, a decision that didn’t go down well with clearing agents in the country’s maritime sector.
The agents argued that the NAC levy is mostly meant for new vehicles, questioning the rationale behind the introduction of the duty on used vehicles.
The circular said that the warning strike was a fallout of consultations among critical stakeholders.
“We have consulted widely among critical stakeholders as par the 15 per cent NAC and “illegal benchmarks on Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR)”.
“It has been concluded that the 15 per cent NAC is a fraud and an obnoxious policy.
“In view of this, in conjunction with other stakeholders, there will be a one-day warning strike on April 25 by 10:00 a.m. prompt, starting from our ‘Holy Ground’ in front of Grimaldi.
“And we will move down to Customs Area Controller (CAC’S) of Port and Terminal Multi-services Ltd. (PTML) and Tincan enroute all other terminals in Tincan and Apapa,” it said.
The circular, however, expressed optimism that the authorities concerned would reverse the “Illegal 15 per cent NAC and also review the benchmarks on PAAR” within the next 48 hours.
It said that all members should be ready to down tools and ensure total shut down at the ports after the warning strike if the policy was not reversed.
“Please note that April 25 and 26 is just a ‘warning strike’, agents are allowed to do their jobs and tidy up against Wednesday in lieu of whether there will be a reverse or not,” it said.
In the meantime, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara Command, has urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to intensify efforts in curbing hard drug intake in the country.
The NSCDC State Commandant, Mr Makinde Ayinla, said this in Ilorin on Friday while receiving the new NDLEA State Commander, Mr Peter Odaudu.
Ayinla said that efforts to reduce drug intake was necessary in order to curb crime.
He said that the geometric rise in the crime rate in the country had been linked to excessive intake of hard drugs by criminals.
According to him, this in turn makes the criminals be reckless and wayward.
He, however, praised the efforts of NDLEA to rid the country of drug abuse and other illegal means of using drugs, noting that the effect of drugs could not be overemphasized.
Ayinla also decried the high rate of insecurity in the country.
“When we talk about the rise in crime rate in the country, there is no way we will not mention the abuse of hard drugs by these criminal elements which also causes an increase in rape,” he said.
The commandant, however, said that NSCDC was always ready to further improve on the working relationship with the NDLEA to check the increase in the use of hard drugs in society.
Earlier in his address, Odaudu decried the abuse of hard drugs by the security operatives in the country, all in the name of being gallant and successful.
The NDLEA commander said that the agency would sensitize the NSCDC officers and men on the danger of drug abuse.
He said that the two Federal Government’s paramilitary agencies had been enjoying a result-oriented working relationship and promised to sustain the good relationship.
MARITIME FIRST
