‘Indemnity Bond Enough To Shield Agents Against Arrest’ – Mumuney

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

One of the candidates contesting the ticket into the Board of Trustees (BoT) elections for the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Demola Mumuney has said that an indemnity letter obtained from an importer is enough guarantee against arrest and prosecution of clearing agents that finds themselves exposed to the clearance of questionable and illegal cargo.

A prominent member of the Group of Nine Like-minds and retired Customs officer, Mumuney says if elected into the board, he will lead discussion on the need for the board to work out through legal instrument, a robust indemnity framework to protect members of the association against the backlash of  criminal importations and incidental involvement.

The Chairman of Stoirin Maritime Services Limited and immediate past Chairman of the Ikoyi Club 38, shared his views during a recent media chat with our reporter. Addressing one of the longstanding challenges in the customs brokerage profession, Mumuney stressed the importance of indemnity for customs agents.

He explained that in situations where contraband or illegal items are discovered during clearance, agents often face repercussions despite their lack of direct involvement; and believe that the time has come to establish the necessary legal walls of protection that spells out the boundaries as applies in the principles of contracts and torts.

He underscored the need for a balanced approach where Customs hold the actual offenders accountable rather than punishing agents who are often caught in the crossfire.

As a member of the BOT9 Likeminds Group, Mumuney assured that this is one of the challenges which the board will look into, in order to bring about trust for ANLCA members with the customs.

“If anything goes wrong during clearance at the ports, like finding drugs, the first person customs will deal with is the agent, as they are the intermediary.

“Once customs have the importer, they shouldn’t keep holding the agent.”

To achieve that, Mumuney proposed the rebuilding of trust between the customs service and its officers and agents, stressing that professionalizing customs brokerage is crucial to achieving it.

“Trust is very vital, and we need to clean up the profession. We must teach each other how to do the right thing so that nobody comes after anyone. We’ll have a good conversation with customs, no doubt about that when we come onboard after the election.”

Mumuney also appealed to ANLCA members to vote for merit, integrity and competence in the forthcoming BOT election rather than personal affiliations. This is even as he expressed confidence in the campaign strategy of the 9 like-minds who are working together to secure votes across all regions.

“It’s not just about voting for someone because you know him. It’s about what you feel he will do. I think we’re very much on track, and I know we have a lot of support because of what we said we’re going to do, or what we intend to do.”

He urge members and voters to prioritize the rebranding of their practice through professionalizing all aspects of its existence including integrity based leadership. This he explained can only be done when members choose leaders with character and competence, leaders who are committed to making meaningful changes, particularly in areas that emphasizes professional standards. Obviously cut out to helping to create a supportive environment that enables the association’s leadership, the National Executive Committee (NECOM), to operate effectively and to avoid relapse into crisis, Mumuney says he and the 9 like-minds are determined to build on and sustain the tempo of restoration and building of bridges of friendship, that has so far been achieved by the present NECOM.