A seeming damaging allegation that the Onne Seaport wing of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in Rivers State is collecting Practitioner Operating Fees (POF) is unsettling the association.
ANLCA’s Chairman at the Onne seaport, Mike Ebeatu, who said it is untrue to absolve the association under his watch of any wrongdoing claiming that the story making the rounds and being canvassed in some quarters was an attempt to mislead the public and cause confusion at the Port.
Ebeatu in a statement said that such unfounded tale was a figment of the imagination of its originators, pointing out, ‘’for the avoidance of doubt and in keeping the record straight in line with the Association’s Constitution and CRFFN Act, ANLCA Onne Seaport Chapter has never and has no statutory mandate to collect Practitioner Operating Fees ((POF).
“But instead, collects Association Welfare Dues, (AWD) which is a unanimous decision reached by the Executive and members in line with ANLCA’s Constitution.’’
Adding, he said, ‘’this is a refutation of misinformation, the libellous, falsity of a serial liar who claims to be a journalist, we will investigate more to find out his credibility and bring this to the Nigerian Union of Journalists because his likes bring disrepute to this noble journalism profession.”
Even as he maintained that the report is “blackmail, misleading and Unfounded,” noting that ” it’s the figment of the imagination of the author of the report.”
He also frowned at the report wondering why someone who is not a member should descend so low to make a false statement “I wonder how someone who is not a Licensed Customs Agents and not a member of ANLCA Onne Seaport Chapter should make such a baseless and false statement.”
“I use this opportunity to call on all Licensed Customs Agents, Operators, Stakeholders to disregard the report and be assured that my stewardship Will continue to adhere and uphold the rules and regulations governing our profession in line with the Federal Government Fiscal policies on Imports and Exports at the Port”, the statement says.
