Group Seeks Legislative Reforms to Enhance Quarantine Agency’s Performance

A non-governmental organisation, the National Ecosystem Advocates of Nigeria (NEAN), has appealed to the National Assembly to embark on the review of the current NAQS Act, 2017, with a view to identifying and strengthening the law to ensure that the main objectives of the legislation is fully attained.

It noted that having operated the NAQS Act 2017 for vet three years now, there were noticeable areas of the legislation that needed to be strengthened for the effective discharge of the functions and activities of the agency.

The group also identified the need for the cooperation of some of the sister agencies of government working with NAQS for the success of the agency. In a statement signed by NEAN’s National Coordinator, Comrade Ben Iguabor and the National Secretary, Silas Modaccai, it regretted that a situation where the agency’s activities were being sabotaged by another sister agency like the Nigerian Customs Service or the Nigerian Police remained most regrettable.

It noted for instance that, NAQS as a leading agency in ensuring standards and compliance in the export of agricultural products out of the country, it was wrong that while the agency insisted on full compliance by exporters, personnel of the Nigerian Customs would be at the backend sabotaging such efforts, noting that, “If properly coordinated, Nigeria has very huge potential of raking in stupendous income through agricultural exports.