A freight forwarder, Mr. Chidi Opara, has advised importers and exporters to shun touts but engage registered agents who know the regulations governing the trade.
Opara, who said this on Sunday in a chat with Financial Street in Lagos, was reacting to the recent seizure of pangolin scales by the Apapa command of Nigeria Customs Service and the destruction of N300m worth of gas cylinders and other items by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
According to him, since modern society thrives on the rule of law, NCS and SON are agencies of the government charged with the implementation of relevant laws and policies.
His words, “Customs, SON and others are agencies of government charged with the implementation of relevant laws and policies.
“If any importer and/or exporter violates any law and/or policy, the goods would be seized and disposed according to the provision of relevant laws, the economic value of the seized goods notwithstanding.”
The case of the pangolin scales seized by the Customs at Apapa port and the destruction of substandard goods by SON, he added, are recent examples.
“The remedy to this is for importers and exporters to engage registered freight forwarders before going into importation and exportation,” he said.
