The leadership of the Southeast Amalgamated Market Traders Association, Importers and various Stakeholders have decried the hardship suffered by its members in the hands of Nigerian Customs Service since December 2013.
In a press conference, the President-General of the association, Okwudili Ezenwankwo, announced a ten day ultimatum to the Customs Service to release goods belonging to Southeast traders held at the various ports across the country or have all the traders in the Southeast embark on a protest march.
The traders at the press conference also complained bitterly that they had been unable to take delivery of their consignments and when they did, they paid billions of Naira as demurrage and terminal charges.
They also complained of Customs’ inability to issue Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, to importers within 48 hours when they take over from the Destination Inspection Service Providers, a process which should be within two to three days but now takes sixty days.
The traders expressed fears that their goods may be auctioned due to the congestion building up at the various ports.
Some of the traders also accused the officers of the Owerri Customs Service of extortion and other unwholesome activities.
The Association called on the Federal Government to urgently set up an independent committee to visit all the ports for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, for the purpose of decongestion and also reconsider the reappointment of Destination Inspection Service Providers.
Reacting to the accusations, the Area Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, Owerri, Dimka Victor David, under whose jurisdiction the southeast traders fall, maintained that genuine traders have no problem with the Nigerian Customs Service.
