Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Nigeria Customs Service has sent a total number of 929 bags of impounded foreign parboiled rice, 30 cartons of Spaghetti and 307 bales of clothing to the Bauchi State Government, to support feeding of people at various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) home across the country.
According to a released report from the Bauchi/Gombe Command, the Area Comptroller in charge, Comptroller Kalla Hamis, made this disclosure recently in the Command.
Speaking further to buttress his efforts, Kallah said that the decision was based on the directive issued from the Customs Headquarters in Abuja to ensure the released items to the Bauchi State Government are effectively coordinated and carried out.
While giving an insight he said, “We were given a directive from the Customs headquarters to immediately release some materials for distribution to the IDPs in the State.
The Controller maintained that, the items were seized smuggled items, that has been declared condemned by the High Court and forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
To avoid being destroyed, “The Comptroller General of the Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) in his wisdom and magnanimity decided that the products should be handed over to the Bauchi State Government for distribution to the Internally Displaced Persons in the state.
In accordance with the new directive, Comptroller Kallah pointed out that the items have been adequately delivered.
We’ve been able to do appropriate documentation to ensure the goods got to their appropriate locations without being hacked.”
The Zonal Comptroller said that the goods were handed to the IDPs through the State Emergency Management Agency.
He stated that, “It’s a normal thing that when we have volume of goods intercepted and feel that the less privileged should be boosted with enough foods and other relief items as welfare, we will not hesitate to do the needful in alleviating their sufferings.”
The Controller, therefore, expressed satisfaction, even as he revealed that before the assignment was carried out, he has constituted a committee and commissioned it for efficiency and effective productivity by ensuring that the exercise was given the necessary and sensitive attention it required, he said.