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By Ebube Egbufor
Secretary General of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in Rivers State, Deacon Chinedu Ikenga, has advised journalists, especially Maritime reporters to always avoid speculations and hearsay while reporting events.
Deacon Ikenga gave the advice while addressing members of the Business and Maritime Writers’ Association of Nigeria, BUMWAN who visited his office in Port Harcourt last Wednesday.
The ANLCA scribe who is also the group general manager of Prestige Associates Limited urged the journalists to make proper investigation before going to press to avoid damaging reports that might lead to litigation.
“I want to advise that you do investigative journalism, don’t report by speculations; don’t report by mere hearing. Please try and find out before reporting because when information has gone out, if it is wrongly reported, retrieving it becomes very difficult because it had already gone out. At times it leads to litigation and that will not be nice”, he said.
He however commended the members of BUMWAN for balanced reportage and urged them not to relent, while promising to encourage them to continue in that light.
Furthermore, he said, “do your best and those of us in the Maritime industry will also do our best to encourage you. I am assuring you that I will continue to collaborate with you and provide you with necessary information that will move the industry as well as the nation forward”.
He pointed out that the members of the press and the Maritime industry share a symbiotic relationship because they need one another, adding that they would always have an open door to receive the press because without the press, their activities would not be heard or known outside.
Earlier the national president of the Business and Maritime Writers’ Association of Nigeria, BUMWAN, Mr. Peter Ihejirika, described Prestige Associates as an indigenous customs licensed broker with core business area in bonded warehouse, terminal, freight collaboration and clearing and forwarding services which over the years has proved itself as one of the effective Federal Government licensed bonded and terminal operators in Rivers State.
Mr. Ihejirika noted that through hardwork, dedication, consistency and probity the former managing director and CEO of the company, Late Hon. Ossy Prestige, before his death placed the company in a good stead as a reputable bonded warehouse in Rivers State, adding that though directly under the supervision of the Customs headquarters, Prestige Associates has contributed immensely to the success story of revenue generation in Onne resulting to the collection of 19.8 billion Naira in October 2021 only.
While commending the company’s insistence on Federal Government’s fiscal policy compliance and their ability to resist the temptation of using their facilities as transit points for smuggling of unwholesome products into the country, the BUMWAN president urged Deacon Ikenga to keep up the good works, adding that with him at the helm of affairs, Prestige Associates would continue to grow from strength to strength on its developmental strides to the admiration of all and sundry.
