In a bid to continue his official working visit to the Eastern Zone of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, on Wednesday, 14th May, 2025 visited PortHarcourt International Airport and Area 1 Port chapters of ANLCA.
The essence of the one day working visit by the National President of ANLCA, Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, was to formerly present the newly inaugurated Excos of their association to the relevant agencies at the ports.
Speaking with the management of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and that of National Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) at the PortHarcourt International Airport, respectively, Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, asked to know the reason behind the underutilization of the cargo facility at the airport.
The ANLCA National President further wondered why Kano, Lagos and Abuja are currently doing well in export business, while PortHarcourt International Airport is currently experiencing low patronage in the export activities.
In the course of presenting the newly inaugurated Exco of ANLCA, Airport chapter to the Nigeria Customs Service, under the control of Deputy Comptroller (DC) SE Ntuen, the management of FAAN and NAHCO, having enumerated on their respective challenges, agreed to collaborate with one another to ensure increase in export activities at the airport.
Deputy Comptroller SE Ntuen, who is incharge of Nigeria Customs Service, PortHarcourt International Airport, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the National President of ANLCA, Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, for finding time to pay him a visit.
Responding to the request of Mr. President for him to provide incentives for potential exporters, DC Ntuen in the meantime, urged Mr. Nwokeoji to take advantage of their relationship with the exporters to make the airport lucrative for all and sundry stakeholders.
Speaking in an interview, shortly after an interactive session with chapter members of ANLCA, by the National President, Mr. Charles Onyema, ANLCA Chairman, PortHarcourt International Airport chapter, blamed the underutilization of the airport on the insensitivity of the National Assembly members from the South-East and South-South Zones, on the need to make the airport viable.
He further thanked his members for their unflinching commitment to work, despite the low patronage that is being experienced at the airport.
Mr. Nwokeoji shortly after leaving the Airport chapter, visited Nigeria Customs Service, PortHarcourt Area 1 command, under the control of Comptroller YM Hashim, as well as the Police Eastern Marine Headquarters, situated at the port and Ibeto Port and Terminal, where the chapter Executives of the Airport chapter and the Area 1 chapter of ANLCA were presented to Comptroller YM Hashim at the Customs Command by the National President of ANLCA.
In the same vein, the Area 1 chapter of ANLCA Exco were also presented to the Commissioner of Police, Eastern Marine Command, and to the management of Ibeto Port and Terminal, by Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji.
During the visit, Comptroller YM Hashim enumerated on some of his Command’s challenges which include: low vessel patronage and freight differential on barge operations from Onne Seaport to PortHarcourt Area 1 Seaport, which according to him, was not in place, when he was a Deputy Comptroller (DC) at Area 1 Customs Command.
Having listened to the challenges of the relevant agencies during the visit, Mr. Nwokeoji also appealed to them to work in synergy with the newly inaugurated Excos and promised to play their part at the National Executive Committee (NECOM) of ANLCA in resolving some of the issues raised by the agencies.
He further used the medium of his interactive session with members of ANLCA at Area 1 Port chapter to address some issues raised by members and lauded Dr. Emmanuel Okoh, the chapter chairman, ANLCA, Area 1 Port, for starting well.
In his response, Dr. Emmanuel Okoh, ANLCA Chairman, Area 1 Port chapter, thanked the National President of ANLCA, Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji for the visit and the success of their presentation to the relevant agencies at the port.
In fulfilling his electoral campaign manifesto of building a secretariat for the Area 1 chapter, Dr. Okoh made a pledge of Five million naira (N5,000,0000:00) to kick start the launch of the project, which was supported by ANLCA Chairman, Onne Seaport chapter, Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku (Onwa) with the sum of Five hundred thousand naira (N500,000:00), with a promise to make his donation when the chapter acquired land for the proposed project.
Highlights of the visit include: presentation of Awards to Comptroller YM Hashim, CP of the Eastern Marine Police Command, ANLCA BoT Chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha and the management of Ibeto Port and Terminal, by Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji.
Others include: presentation of Awards to the National President of ANLCA, Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, Chief Sir Ernest Elochukwu and Dr. Emmanuel Okoh by the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of ANLCA, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha.
