Some female clearing agents operating at the Tincan Island Port have lashed out at male officers of the Tincan Island Customs Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), accusing them of discrimination.
The women voiced out their anger last week at the stakeholders meeting organized by executives of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Tincan chapter.
One of them who identified herself as Bisi Adeniyi complained bitterly about being shabbily treated by male officers of the command who she accused of preferring to deal with young women who conduct themselves unprofessionally.
“Even though I am a license owner, they don’t regard me! It is very annoying. They will rather speak with small girls that they feel they can deal with… because no customs officer will talk to me in a disgraceful manner and I will accept it! I try to carry out my job as professionally as I can but these people treat us with disregard. They send women out and keep them waiting outside while these girls are allowed to enter freely into their offices. These girls throw themselves at the officers just to get their jobs attended! If you are not one of these girls you are in trouble as you must definitely go through kelebe. Kelebes are the ones doing most of the jobs,” she lamented.
Adeniyi’s grievance was not directed only at customs officers of the male gender as she also nitpicked on female customs officer Jane Shoboiki, the Deputy Controller in charge of Terminal B2 of the Tincan Island Port Complex accusing her of highhandedness and extortion.
“These officers treat us as if we are nobody. We are human beings for crying out loud. They make us feel like we are second fiddle in this profession which is really not fair,” Adeniyi lamented.
Vice Chairman ANLCA Tincan Chapter, Ada Akpunonu, said that she was not aware that her female professional colleagues undergo such unfair treatment especially that of discrimination even as she assured that by virtue of her position as the second-in-command of the chapter she will ensure a reduction of such acts.
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