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NANTS cautions members against smuggling, drug trafficking, others

By Anthony Otaru, Abuja
05 September 2017   |   4:19 am
The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has warned that it would no longer condone its members who engage in smuggling, drug and human trafficking, gun running and deal in stolen or sub-standard goods.

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The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has warned that it would no longer condone its members who engage in smuggling, drug and human trafficking, gun running and deal in stolen or sub-standard goods.

It gave the warning against the backdrop of constant criticisms of accommodating questionable characters in its fold.

The association stated that it would not only delist such erring members from its fold but would also support law enforcement agencies to bring culprits to book.

NANTS President, Ken Ukaoha, gave the warning in his address at its 20 anniversary and 2017 National Summit Day in Abuja.

The association, which was established in 1997 by some traders who used to sell bags and shoes under the Apogbon—Eko Bridge in Lagos-Island, now has millions of traders across the country.

“We must, as members of NANTS, begin to preach the need for correct and proper documentation and declaration of imports for speedy clearance and sanity of the environment,” he said.

He charged governments at all levels to accommodate its members in board appointments.

“NANTS is asking for inclusion of our members in various boards of trade related parastatals so as to bring their practical experiences to bear on the development of the country,” he added.

He appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fully accommodate its members in the financial inclusion drive.

Speaking on the theme of the anniversary: National Unity, Peace and Security: The Role of the Nigerian Trader, Paddy Njoku, said the role of the Nigerian trader in bringing the nation together can best be summed up by the saying that anywhere you get to in the country and there is no “buy-am-sell-am”, you should run away because there may soon be “kill-am-bury-am”.

Njoku stated that the Nigerian trader is an economic force without borders, adding: “He finds a home anywhere he can buy or sell, he needs the entire national territory and even the international market to fully express and exploit their full potential.”

Chairman of the occasion and former national security adviser (NSA) to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, called on the government to support the traders to bring the needed peace to the country.

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