Importers Are Abandoning Their Cargoes In The Ports – Rotarian Chinedu Ikenga, Secretary, Association of Nigeria License Customs Agent Onne Sea Port Chapter and Managing Director, Prestige Associates
May we know you Sir?
My name is Chinedu Ikenga, Secretary Association of Nigeria License Customs Agent, Onne Sea Port Chapter.
What is your take on the sudden increase on Custom duty and how it affects your business as a licensed customs agent?
Yes, it has affected my business adversely, well, custom did not increase their duty but it came as a result of changes in the exchange rate and that brought about increase in duty which actually is affecting everybody from up to down but end users suffer it most. It’s affecting our business and the business is gradually dropping, some of our clients who are importers cannot break even while some operate at a loss, so, as a result of that, some cannot export any longer while those that imported cannot even sell their goods, some that have taken loans from the banks find it difficult to pay back and as it is now some cannot clear their goods from the ports, so, if care is not taken we are going to experience abandonment of consignment at the sea ports.
Has the war in the middle East affected your business in anyway?
The war in the Middle East, well, it would have if it is where my clients operate from but most of the shipment that comes into Nigeria come either from China, Europe and America, just very few numbers of them comes through the Middle East and I don’t think the war there has actually affected shipping industries.
How would you describe the managerial style of the Comptroller General of Customs since assumption office?
I will say that the current Comptroller General, Adeniyi Adewale is a square peg in a square hole who rightly fit into that position. Since his assumption to that office, he has brought a lot of reforms in the Customs formation, you can see him touring round the country to make sure that business operations tribe in a conducive environment, he assumed office and find out that the strike force unit of the Nigeria Customs was no longer necessary and these did not took him any stress to recall that unit knowing fully well that that very unit is doing the same assignment FOU is doing so that is a mark of good leader who look at the current position of a job, the activities on ground vis a vis the smooth operation of business, though he has been emphasizing on it all the things that will be an impediment to the smooth operation of importation business as far as you are doing a legimate business, he will make sure that those bottle necks are removed because the Cardinal objective of Customs is to facilitate trade, generate revenue and surpress smuggling, so whatever way you look at it anything that will make trade not to be facilitated he will not be part of it and you can him moving from one port to other making sure that there is sanity in the industry making sure that his officers are doing the right thing and at the right time and you can see the recent promotion of officers that has taking place to fill in gaps, before his arrival there were shortage of officers mainly the senior ones that are suppose to attend to some key functions in the Customs system and he discovers this and swang into action and before you knew it there were promotions after the exams were conducted and promotions were giving to deserving officers and today you can see that the areas lacking manpower were filled up.
As a bounded terminal operator, how conducive is your office premises considering the size?
Yes, when we started operation here, well you know every business have the mindset of expanding and growing in the industry and it is not too small for a business like ours, we are expansion which in the nearest feature you begin to see them manifesting also note that we are not meant to stack containers here, we don’t envisage any container to come and stay as overtime cargo, for us containers come and as it arrives they are dropped and examination conducted and release and those cargo leaves while we wait for another one to come so we are not struggling with space, you can see while coming in all our containers are on ground, examinations have been conducted on them we have enough space to receive our containers as they don’t come at the same time, it arrives badge by badge on daily bases twenty four seven so as it arrives we pick them and examine them, we do not have issues on space as our terminal can take more than twenty something containers at a time on ground.
Can you share the secret behind your organizations success without negative report from the Customs and what stands you out from other bonded terminal operators?
Transparency, honesty doing the right thing, knowing what Customs demand of you, the instant laws that governs the operations of the industry and align yourself with those laws try not to indulge in all unnecessary infractions and that will stand you out and that is the Cardinal objective of this organization to be transparency while dealing with our customers to make sure we are trustworthy, your words should be your bound, whatever agreement you reach with your customers try to keep to it and that is what is keeping us going, they in turn go out there to advertise us that when you do business with this person you can go home and rest, if you put your resources once into his hands be sure that he can account for it, that is integrity, honesty and transparency.
The national body of your association conducted election and new executives has emerged over 100 days, can you comment if there has been improvement and changes in the association?
One, since they took over mantle of leadership relative peace has return to ANLCA and our National President, Chief Emenike Nwokeoji who is a man of peace and a team player have been going round the country to make sure that he restore the image of ANLCA, he has gradually restore the integrity, dignity of ANLCA, he has met with so many government agencies, the policy makers to make sure that the right policy are made for us, he is not resting he is still on it he is just fresh in his administration and in no distant time we will begin to see the dividend of what he is doing or the moves he has made. But one important thing is that nobody make progress in an environment where there is rankor, where there is division within themselves and that is what he is making sure that we don’t have in the association any longer, the previous administration suffers that and he came and never wanted to experience such and he is doing everything possible to unite all of us, have one indivisible ANLCA, one united we stand divided we fall so we are united know very soon you will begin to see the ANLCA you use to know, when we speak with one voice when we approach issues as one body that is what our current president is doing now.
Onne, Eleme axis of the East West road plays a vital role in the maritime sector, what is your take on the suspension of the work by the Minister of work as we are about to witness yet another rainy season, what is your take?
First of all we have to thank the federal government that at last they have heard our cry, we have suffered a lot on this road, people will imoprt their cargo, pay duty, pay freight, pay every other charges just to past through this road to their destination and the container will fail on the way, all their struggle all their hard earned money will just go down the drain just on this road and federal government knowing the importance of this road has commence reconstruction on it and the Minister who knows what is suppose to be done always come to supervise the work so stoping the work for just few days is as a result of the Minister who stood his ground that the right thing must be done, the right thing need to be done and that is why it is good to give to someone who knows the job, any portfolio you are giving out let the right person be in charge the person who knows it should handle that ministry, this are what we have been suffering in the past , you give a ministry to someone who do not have the knowledge of the job and at the end they do all manners of shabby job. But this one insisted that the right thing must be done and today you have can see the action on that road, we are hopeful that in the nearest months or in a year to come this road will be put in order for use and all our sufferings in the past will be in the past.
What is the greatest thing God has done for you as a successful business man?
If I begin to talk what God has done for me as a business man, this interview may not end today. God has been so faithful to me, God has been good to me, God has so loving despite my inadequacy God has been wonderful, where will I start from and where will I end it, from nowhere He brought me to become somebody, the good health that He has giving unto me, without good health you cannot achieve nothing. First He gave me good health, a divine coverage over my life and my family despite attacks of the enemy He has shielded me from the attacks of the enemy. I may not be the best in the industry but He said in His words the Holy book in (Exodus 33:19) that He will bless whom so ever He wants to bless and He has choose me as one of those one He wants to bless and He bless me. and I do my normal thing and He crown it with success, many may have done more than I have done but may have not achieve the kind of results I have achieved in the industry, so I give everything every achievement that I have made so far in life to God, He is the doer and He has been the one that has made things to work perfectly well, for me I cannot say it all that God has done for me so numerous that every achievement whatever you have seen around me all from God that have done it.
What is your advice to the federal government on the hardship faced by the Nigeria citizens?
The current challenge the masses are facing as a result of policies, well, the federal government have come out with different policies that may be good by ordinary Nigerian as at now all of us were finding it easy but am not a kind person is always in a hurry to judge and I believe that if the policy we are seeing now are product of technocrats that has giving him such advice to implement for our own good let watch and see how it will reflect in the life of the generality of Nigerians in the nearest future but for now government should come up with parliative measures, if need be, imoport some food items for now to cushion the effects of the scarcity of food in Nigeria. There is a popular saying that a hungry man is an angry man, not every person understand the policy, the illiterate trader on the street doesn’t know what that policy is all about what they want to know is that they want to eat, so government should look at their policies, yes, it may be good policies but they should look at the effects and make some little adjustment to cushion the effect of those policies.
You were inducted into Prince Elite Club of Nigeria recently, where you compel to or you willingly joined the group?
Well, this are group of friends, group of colleagues who have been doing well for themselves, life is all about people you know, people you know that can also impart your life positively, since I came into Port Harcourt am not quick in joining association I take my time to look at the associations, look at their performances, look at their objective and ideology if there in consonance with my life style.
