The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has advised importers, freight forwarders and agents to comply with trade regulations or face the consequences.
Its Area Controller, Mohammed Abba-Kura, said this while receiving the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) executives, who visited the command headquarters in Lagos.
Abba-Kura, who read the riot act, said failure to comply with the regulations for cargo clearance would not be condoned. He said importers were expected to have requisite knowledge of documentation and clearance before venturing into importation.
“I will encourage facilitation of legitimate trade. Legitimate trade where all means of regulations and certifications are duly complied with. We have seen some Nigerians along the line who would always want to have their way even when they have not done the right thing. If someone is coming to say he has a consignment that has not been cleared on time, we won’t attend to it if it is non compliant. As the documents come, I pass them to those who would work on them. We avoid delays of any kind,” he said.
Abba-Kura continued: “But if there are issues that need to be cleared, they must be cleared no matter what the owner may say. For example, if there is a documentation or clearance you need to get, if you don’t have it, you must get it for us to attend to it
“Before you venture into anything, you must inquire what it requires. You cannot start a process and come to us and be on our neck that we must do it for you, that one will never be done. If they want to call it delays because of this, we have no apologies.”
To achieve greater result, Abba-Kura assured that customs officers within the command, who distinguished themselves on their jobs, would be commended.
His words: “Outstanding performances would be commended and such commendation could be sent to NCS headquarters for appropriate reward just as erring officers would be punished.
“I will encourage my officers, who perform in the course of doing their jobs by giving them commendation letters. But on the contrary, whoever errs, I will not hesitate to punish. Outstanding performance will be rewarded not only in the command, we will escalate it to the headquarters. This will enable others get motivated,” he said.
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