Hyacinth Chinweuba.
The Nigeria Customs Service, Tin Can Island Customs Command, has advised importers against trade malpractices, warning it will not tolerate such acts in the new year.
In its 2017 review, the Command identified a number of trade infractions involving importers which led to seizures of such goods and called on the importers to desist from such practices this year.
“We still have pockets of issues, particularly with regards to non compliance by some of the traders. As a responsible Command, we implore them to toe the line of sanity in order to assist the Command in meeting it’s demands”.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Mr Uche Ejesieme, the Command said it appreciates the role of compliant traders who have consistently remained dependable allies through adherence to due diligence.
The Command gave an indication that unrepentant importers stand to face the wrath of officers and the law this year.
According to the statement, “In the last two years, the Command have developed various module, have changed the narrative and trajectory of the Command. It will be recalled that the Command was prominent for notoriety in terms of the operational standards. This propelled a paradigm shift which from all intent and purpose have re-positioned the Command in terms of renewed commitment and dedication of officers and men. We are not reneging as we are not oblivious of the enormous expectation from the Nigeria Customs Service Management, more so when the strategic position of the Command to National Economy and development is considered. We will surely surpass this record in the new year.
The Command also commended sister agencies and other players in the maritime industry for demonstrating tenacity of the purpose in subjecting to the change ideology of the Comptroller General which enabled seamless synergy and collaboration.
It would be recalled that the Command recorded a revenue of N287,632,912,667,49 last year against its target of N310,247,346,990.85.
The Command recorded so many seizures during the period as a result of the determination of the Customs Area Controller, Mr Bashar Yusuf to battle trade malpractices to a standstill.
Among the items seized were a total of 2010 Pump Action Riffles, a feat in which the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) was impressed and commended the leadership, officers of men of the Command.
The statement added that the Controller, Bashar, Introduced several reforms in the entire administrative and operational value chain which resulted in remarkable seizures.
“ Part of the strategy was on the issue of due diligence and professionalism in documentations and examination of cargo. It was therefore on the basis of the foregoing that the command recorded a total of 2010 Pump Action Riffles during the period under reference.
The seizures had also attracted promotion for five officers of the command who demonstrated uncommon diligence by detecting the arms.
Meanwhile, No fewer than 20 vehicles and scores of bags of rice were last week thursday destroyed when fire gutted Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Foreign parboiled rice, which worth millions of Naira, were loaded in the trucks before it was gutted by the inferno that also razed substantial part of the warehouse.
The intervention of firefighters from the Lagos State Fire Service and men of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency was said to have curtailed the spread of the fire.
The exact cause of the fire, which started around 2pm, could not be ascertained as of press time, as there were conflicting accounts of what started it.
While authorities at the customs service said the fire started after the gas cylinder of an impounded truck exploded, one of the emergency workers said it was caused by bush burning.
The fire was said to have quickly spread to vehicles in the warehouse before the firefighters intervened.
The spokesperson for the NCS, FOU Ikeja, Jerry Attah, said three vehicles were burnt, adding that no life was lost or injury sustained.
He said, “A section of the constructed annex warehouse was gutted by fire. It is not our main warehouse. There were two trucks that had been there for a long time. The trucks had gas cylinders which usually come with them. The fact that they had been there for a long time, coupled with the heat of the season, made one of them to explode. When it exploded, the fire spread. But we called in the state fire service and LASEMA. The fire was put out at 3pm. Only one truck and two cars were burnt.”