Aviation journalists want govt to resolve customs and agents’ crunch

Murtala Muhammed Internation Airport, Lagos

The league of Airports and Aviation correspondents LAAC has called on the federal government to resolve the crisis that led to the closure of the cargo warehouses at the Murtala Mohammed International airport, Ikeja.

A statement issued in Lagos over the weekend by the chairman of LAAC, Mr. Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo said the continue closure of the cargo warehouses has continued to portray the Nigeria  airport in a negative manner before the international community.

According to Mr Iwelunmo, no matter what led to the crises between the officers of Nigerian Customs Service and licensed  clearing agents at the cargo shed, they ought to have settled their differences and open the place for business to end the untold hardship it has brought to the masses.

“This is not the time to apportion blame, in the interest of the masses government must and intervene and open the shut warehouses for people to commence business. As stakeholders, we cannot fold our arms and watch the industry go down”

"Its less than a month to Christmas and our brothers and sisters all over the world are sending items down here only for those items to be locked up. Its not the interest of the people that theses warehouses remained shut."

The LAAC chairman lamented that the nation has lost millions of naira since the warehouses were shut few weeks ago. "Our major concern is the perishable goods, government should do something to alleviate the sufferings of exporters and importers”

The League warned that government should not allow agents to start using neighbouring countries to bring in their cargoes as it will not do the nation any good.

“The crises the country is facing from Boko Haram is enough and continue closure of the warehouses will add to the suffering of those that are struggling to survive. We want them to soft pedal, broker peace and resume operation"

According to Iwelunmo, this is the time to keep Nigeria one and government must avoid anything that will bring disaffection in the system especially with the austerity measures in place by the government as every generated revenue must count.

He noted that this was not the first time that customs and their licensed agents were having misunderstandings adding that a lasting solution should be proffered to ensure that the ugly trend does not continue.