NAGAFF’s 100% Compliance Team resilient amidst challenges–Tanko

 

Maureen Aguta

 

The National Coordinator, 100% Compliance Team of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko has debunked a an editorial by an online medium, not Advocacy Times, alleging that the Team has been rendered ineffective and unoperational due to the reconstitution of Trade Facilitation Committee of NAGAFF.

He remarked that though the team, responsible for enforcing trade regulations, has faced scrutiny and obstacles, but they have remained steadfast in their mission.

Alhaji Tanko who made these explanations in a statement in Lagos disclosed that the reconstitution of NAGAFF’s trade facilitation committee did not diminish the compliance team’s operations, adding that their effectiveness remain intact.

He further explained that the trade facilitation committee existed before the compliance team saying, “It was merely reconstituted following the abysmal failure of the previous one. Our duties and functions were clearly spelt out by the NAGAFF High Command.”

“Despite misgivings and calls for disbandment, the compliance team remains resolute. Their mandate, which is clearly outlined by NAGAFF’s High Command, is what drives its activities.

“We had to lie low to see if the challenges confronting us in the industry could be tackled and surmounted any other way, but alas, no action! And everyone is now asking what happened to the compliance team. The team is intact and about to stage a big comeback.

“Right now, we are preparing grounds for a suit against NAFDAC for collecting samples but not returning them to the owners, after ostensibly carrying out tests on the items,” he stated.

According to the Compliance Team national coordinator, the group is presently engaging the APMT management over the activities of their overzealous security personnel who seize samples of items taken from the examination bay, pack them in their offices in heaps and cartons.

“They never returned the containers, nor the offending perpetrators apprehended or handed over to the police for prosecutions. We want answers to what happened to the confiscated items,” Tanko stated,” he said.

He questioned why no one has tracked down the man who put the obstacles against effective operations at the scanning site or how come the original design of operations there was jettisoned? “Why is the examination platform erected for scanning operations not in use?

Compliance team is gearing up for significant actions

Alhaji Tanko expressed concerns over the developments and alleged APMT’s deliberate strategy to undermine government trade facilitation as well as shortchange the agents, by refusing them the use of their own trucks for delivery, which benefits the terminal operator financially.

Alhaji Tanko who affirmed that the NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team remains vigilant, fighting for efficient trade practices and security, assured that by next week, the ‘Team’ will convene to reaffirm their dedication to sustainable freight forwarding.

“I see obstacles as ”blood tonic”, an elixir that propels me into actions that seemed insurmountable. He added that the Team is not in with anyone, saying they are resolute in fighting off impediments to sustainable freight forwarding.

It would be recalled that an online publication in its editorial recently captioned:  “NAGAFF’s monumental mistake was to whittle down the relevance of its 100% Compliance Team”, the editorial warned that any attempt by the NAGAFF authorities to disband or dissolve the 100% Compliance Team which has performed  creditably well overtime, would not only be counterproductive ,but would also do serious damage to the credibility and integrity of the association.