As we previously reported here, Lagos airport's export unit was recently shut down by the Federal Units Operations of the Nigeria Customs Services. Now, Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCOL, and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO have called on the Federal Government to look into the loss of N100m following the shut down.
Chief Executive Officer of ABX World, Captain John Okakpu who revealed this to newsmen, said they lost over N100 million worth of goods within the 48-hour shutdown period.
He said the agro-allied exporters, numbering over 100, were worried that such an incident was tantamount to economic loss while international off-takers were developing cold-feet with regard to agricultural produce from Nigeria.
Supporting Captain Okakpu’s claims, the President of Nigeria Vegetable Exporters Association, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Temitope, said that her company alone lost over N1million worth of cargo within 24-hours of the export shed closure.
Veronica Ezigbo, Managing Director of Kiverlin Foods said “The impact is very huge, because we deal in perishable goods. We are ordinary citizens of this country and do not deserve this kind of treatment. Customs officials know the people they are searching for, where and how to catch them. They acted ignorantly, because our line of business is very competitive; if you fail to deliver within few hours the vegetables get damaged too."
(1 Nigerian Naira=0.0032 USD)
See more at: thewhistler.ng
