The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has described as blackmail a media report (not SHIPS & PORTS DAILY) that the association has entered into a secret pact with the National Automotive Council (NAC) on the controversial automotive policy.
Speaking in his office yesterday with our correspomdent, the founder of the association, Dr Boniface Aniebonam said his association still maintains its stand that the automotive policy is unpopular.
Aniebonam also stated further that rather than enter into a secret pact with NAC as aleged, his association has called for the conveying of stakeholders meeting by the council where the issue of tariff would be discussed.
Though, Aniebonam pointed out that the policy may be borne out of good intention, the implementation is what the association is not satisfied with.
“We in NAGAFF have advised the government that higher duty should be charged on vehicles with older age while a vehicle with lesser age should pay reduced duty in order not to turn the country into a dumping ground,” he stated.
He said he believed that all right thinking Nigerians know that transportation is a necessity and not a luxury hence it should not be toiled with.
Aniebonam also supported call by the Lagos State Government for the closure of Nigeria borders to curtail the deadly Ebola Virus ravaging some neighbouring countries.
He said, “If closing of the borders will contain the spread of Ebola, I think the government should do that because the safety of lives of Nigerians is more important than trade, as we know that the virus is deadly. I repeat if that will solve the problem, I think the government should do it,” he said.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola on Friday advised the Federal Government to consider closing some of the nation’s borders to ensure that the deadly Ebola Virus does not spread across the border into the country.
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