The company selected to operate the Single Window at Ghana’s ports, West Blue Consulting insists that it executed its mandate in Nigeria with distinction and subsequently received commendation from the World Customs Organization.

This is in response to suggestions by the President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents in Nigeria, Lucky Amiwero that the company failed in its contract - which was therefore transferred to another company, Webb Fontaine.

West Blue has described the allegation as completely false - denying it failed to carry out its contractual mandate in Nigeria. This was contained in an exclusive rejoinder to JOY BUSINESS citing some relevant letters and a certificate of merit.

According to the company, the evidence of this falsehood can be found in letters such as the response from the Nigeria Commissioner General of Customs to the then Nigeria Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala dated 5^th May, 2014 and another one addressed to the Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority dated 2^nd July, 2015 in which its work in Nigeria was positively acknowledged.

In the second letter, it says the Commissioner General of Nigeria Customs acknowledged West Blue as the technical partner in the award winning Nigeria Trade Hub which provides round the clock online, real time information about trade in Nigeria – that is www.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng

The letter credited West Blue for helping increase Nigeria’s port revenue by 20% and reducing clearing time by spearheading the development of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) for Nigerian imports.

The company in the rejoinder advanced its position by quoting paragraph 11 of the response to minister’s letter dated 5^th May, 2014 which stated “In essence therefore, Hon. Minister, the assertion that the PAAR application developed by NCS in partnership with TBWB (West Blue) is a failure is unfounded”.

West Blue also emphasized that the World Customs Organization in its letter dated 18^th June, 2014 to the Commissioner General of the Nigeria Customs Service has decided to include the Nigeria Trade Hub which it developed in the newly revised compendium of the World Customs Organization as a best practice for member countries to emulate.