By Godfrey Bivbere File: National Assembly Complex THE National Assembly and the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, have initiated moves t...
By Godfrey Bivbere
THE National Assembly and the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, have initiated moves to create an Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, for non governmental organisations’, NGOs, for importation of charity goods.
Speaking at the forum put together for this purpose, Deputy Senate President, DSP, Ovie Omo-Agege, said the aim was to seek solution to the difficulties presently witnessed in clearing of such goods at the ports.
Represented by his special assistant non governmental organisations, NGOs/Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, Modupe Ozolua, the deputy Senate president said such imports should be given priority. Charity goods are those designated for the less privilege in the society as well as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
He noted that though such imports are sometimes misused and abused by some people, the misconducts should not be used as a yield stick for generalization of NGO/CSO imports. According to him, “It is important to improve on the clearing process; I hope that this meeting will discuss all the issues and come out with the right guidelines for clearing of charitable goods.”
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Similarly, Executive Secretary of the NSC, Hassan Bello, explained that it was the importance of clearance of such goods that all the relevant stakeholders gathered for the meeting. Bello commended the National Assembly for its effort to find ways of improving the nation’s economy.
He pointed out that the role of the National Assembly is not limited to law-making alone but also to economic development. At the end of the meeting, a committee comprising various stakeholders, was established to harmonise the various issues raised at the meeting.
Also speaking on the issue, Chairman Senate Committee on Health and Vice-Chairman Senate Committee on Diaspora, NGOs and CSOs, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said that most of these items are important to Nigerians. Oloriegbe noted that the items are a matter of life and death, stressing that delaying them could lead to the death of the beneficiaries.
He pointed out that some of the items include drugs, used clothes, medical equipments etc.
The post NASS, Shippers Council seek easy clearance for charity goods imports appeared first on Vanguard News.
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