Nation
Group Wants Extension Of Customs Licence Renewal Deadline
A port activist group, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), has urged the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance to reconsider the extension of customs licences renewal from one year to two years.
The licence in question is usually issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), an agency under the Ministry of Finance with 12 months expiration date.
The group also lamented the long process involved in obtaining the license despite the short duration, saying the short live span of the license poses serious threat to trade facilitation.
National Coordinator of the group, Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick, while speaking with journalists in his office last Friday, lamented the delay occasioned by the manual process.
He maintained that electronic issuance and renewal of licenses was the order of the day in other sector even as he wondered why such could not be inculcated in the customs licensing process.
According to him, “This is a clarion call to the CG of Customs and the Federal Ministry of Finance to understand that if automation in license renewal and procurement in vehicles and insurance is tenable, why would it not work in Customs licensing?
“DPR and others have gone automated and it lasts for two years”.
Speaking further, Osita noted that “I want them to look at it and see how they can salvage the situation because it is so critical that if you pay money for renewal now, it will take up to four or five months before you get it and during the period, you cannot use the license.
“Before you apply for linking or password, it will take months again. I see this as something that is very vital and should be inculcated in our system and would help improve on the manual system.
“The cost of renewing a license is over two hundred and fifty thousand naira and obtaining a new license is over five hundred thousand naira payable aside the unreceipted fees that you will have to pay”.
Critical stakeholders in clearing subsector of the maritime industry have also called on the Ministry of Finance to digitalise the renewal of customs clearing license to avoid unnecessary delay and the cumbersome process involved.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
-
News2 days ago
EFCC Arraigns Man For Refusing To Accept Naira As Legal Tender
-
Politics2 days ago
PDP Disciplinary Committee To Resume Sitting In Two Weeks
-
News2 days ago
Tinubu’s Govt Ready To Work With Labour -Shettima
-
Featured2 days ago
Senate Passes N54.9trn 2025 Appropriation Bill
-
News2 days ago
Nigeria Meets OPEC’s Crude Oil Production Quota of 1.5m bpd
-
Entertainment2 days ago
Actor Uche Maduagwu Slams Tuface For Proposing Marriage To Natasha
-
Featured2 days ago
CBN Retains N100 ATM Fee For Withdrawal Below N20,000
-
Politics2 days ago
Rivers Assembly Tasks LGAs On Youth Restiveness …Confirms Assembly, LG Service Commissions