Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) have appealed to revenue collecting banks to reopen their offices in Apapa.
This is meant to ease difficulties faced by freight forwarders in the of payments of import duties and other levies and dues through commercial banks during the lockdown of Lagos and Ogun states.
The banks had closed for businesses in accordance with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that all business in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja should close down for 14 days and that there should be a total restriction on movement.
But following the intervention of the Chief Executives of both CRFFN and Shippers’ Council, about seven banks are expected to reopen in Apapa for the purpose of collecting revenue from clearing agents.
The deal was struck after calls were made to Chief Executives of some banks by the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Hassan Bello and the Chief Executive Officer of the CRFFN, Mr Samuel Nwakohu.