By: Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Tin Can Island Port of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller Abdullahi Musa has denied rumors of benchmarking of general cargo at the port, and that no officer in uniform is allowed to clear cargo at the port command.
The Customs Controller cleared the issue while addressing members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) led by the Acting National President and the National Vice President Prince Dr Kayode Farinto during a courtesy visit Thursday last week.
The Controller according to the Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Mr Joe Sanni explained that what was being termed as “benchmarking, is the technical application of the risk management tools to some cargoes that are suspicious in value, quantity and classification, which ultimately affects the final duty paid”.
The Customs Controller also explained that “these cargoes are then subjected to further interrogation and examination/inspection, to determine the actual duty to be paid”.
Comptroller Musa during the visit of the ANLCA chiefs appealed to members of the trading community to be compliant in their declarations, “as this is bound to improve the revenue accruing to the Nations purse, as well as guarantee trade facilitation”.
Musa said that part of his initiatives to ease cargo clearance in his port of command, “is the physical establishment of a one-stop shop Centre to resolve the issues of multiple alerts/disputes arising from the terminal, during examination.
“The Centre, named Dispute Resolution Centre(DRC0 is housed on the ground floor of the command, directly under the office of the Area Comptroller.
Musa also told the ANLCA Executive that the Tin Can Island command has also initiated a process “whereby cargo movements within the terminals will be monitored on a large screen mounted at the entrance to the Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC) / Committee, to be replicated at various points within the command, has officers from all units that may be raising alerts on cargoes, as members. The DRC will also incorporate Headquarters System Audit Alert, in order to ensure a quick resolution of issues arising from the examination of suspected cargoes.
“If such issues remain unresolved at the Committee (DRC) level, it is then taken before the CAC. Customs headquarters comes in, if the CAC is unable to resolve it”.
The Controller used the occasion of the visit to also deny the allegation that some customs officers were taking over the jobs of clearing agents.
This was emphatically dismissed by the CAC when the issue was raised. The Controller challenged anyone with useful information on such allegation to come to him in confidence for necessary action.
Meanwhile, a member of ANLCA, Onne chapter, Sir Adindu Amadi has been kidnapped.
He was kidnapped since May 19 near his residence
The Association said efforts are being made to secure his release and get him back to his family.