Customs agents at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have voiced their frustration over the reported closure of their secretariat by the airport’s commandant, Chioma Udo.
The agents, under the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents claim that the shutdown, which took place on February 5, has significantly disrupted their activities, resulting in operational setbacks and a substantial revenue loss estimated at nearly N500 billion for the federal government.
In conversations with The PUNCH on Monday, several agents acknowledged an ongoing leadership dispute within the association.
However, they emphasized that a court had intervened, instructing all parties to maintain the existing state of affairs. Despite this directive, they allege that the secretariat remains locked.
A representative of Febak Olympic Global Services Limited, Olufemi Kayode, expressed concerns about the defiance of the court order.
“We are using this medium to appeal to the commandant to open our secretariat. There is an internal crisis within the association and the MMAC executives had approached the court considering the security and sensitivity of the airport environment. A court order therefore restrained all parties from taking action and that status quo should remain. But despite this, the commandant locked up the association’s secretariat despite this order,” Kayode disclosed.
Makinde Aremu, from Marktouch Shipping Agencies Limited, highlighted failed attempts to resolve the issue amicably, warning that continued closure could escalate tensions among members.
“All efforts to make her see reasons not to adjudicate on this matter proved abortive. The association’s matter had lasted more than two years without a crisis, violence or breakdown of law and order.
“Locking up the association’s offices and secretariat may degenerate to violence that we have managed to avert to date because members’ patience is fast running out. For instance, we could not collate and moderate members’ registration for the ongoing FAAN registration and data capturing, hence our outcry,” Aremu said.
Echoing similar concerns, Nwokoma Ohuoba, owner of Bestdestiny Express Logistics and Allied Services Limited, lamented the economic impact of the closure, emphasizing its effect on customs revenue collection.
“As the association is one of the major stakeholders for the revenue generation by the Nigeria Customs licensed agents, this has grossly affected the operations of revenue generation to the Federal Government through customs and also affected members’ welfare and revenue too.
“The Federal Government within this period through the customs airport revenue operations has lost almost N500bn worth of revenue and the association revenue is also in the red as a result of the locking up of the secretariat,” he stated.
When The PUNCH reached out to Udo for a response, she pointed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria as the deciding body on the secretariat’s reopening.
“I hope they told you that the facility they are using belongs to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria. Did they also let you know that the resolution of reopening that place is dependent on the FAAN MD? If you want to get more reaction, come to my office,” she said.
With tensions rising, stakeholders now await FAAN’s intervention in the dispute, as agents push for an urgent resolution to restore normal operations at the airport.
