The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), has complied with the directive of the Senate to announce a suspension of the implementation of the payment of the proposed vehicle duty.
In a statement that the NCS Acting Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah issued in Abuja , he said “Following the unnecessary tension generated as a result of misconception and misrepresentation of the Nigeria Customs Service planned motor duty payment, the leadership of the National Assembly and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) met with a view to resolving the impasse.”
“They both agreed that the proposed motor duty payment, though in line with the provision of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C.45, LFN 2004 should be put on hold while the Senate Committee on Customs & Excise interfaces with the NCS for further discussions.
“While payment of duty on vehicles or indeed any dutiable imported item remains a civic responsibility of every patriotic Nigerian, NCS Management has directed that the exercise be put on hold while expressing readiness to engage the Senate Committee on further discussions to bring them on board to understand the importance of the exercise to national security and economy,” Attah stated.
Tag: customs
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Customs bows to Senate, suspends proposed vehicle duty
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Customs to review duty payment enforcement
Vehicle owners who are anxious over duty payment enforcement should relax.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is reviewing the controversial policy, Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (retd) has said.
Col. Ali stated this in a letter to Senate President Bukola Saraki which he personally submitted yesterday during an unscheduled visit to the Senate president.
He visited Saraki after the Senate plenary where he was criticised for replying the Senate’s letter of invitation through an assistant comptroller-general and asking for understanding not to appear today to enable him preside over a management meeting.
The senate president ruled after a debate that Col. Ali must appear today as directed and he should wear the Customs uniform.
The CG had told Television Continental (TVC) that he was not appointed to wear the Customs uniform and that he would not appear before the senate wearing it.
He also vigorously defended the policy which mandates Customs men to stop vehicles on highways to check for evidence of import duty payment. Many Nigerians are opposed to the policy which they believe is arbitrary and subject to abuse and corruption.
But in his personally signed letter, Col. Ali also said he was seeking legal consultation over whether or not to wear the uniform.
Sources said Col. Ali personally submitted the second letter to the Senate president and did not make any reference to the first letter which was read by the Clerk of the senate during plenary.
The second letter read: “May I respectfully refer to your letter dated 9 March and inform Your Excellency that the decision on payment of customs duties by vehicle owners who do not have them as prescribed by law is currently being reviewed.
“The goal of the review is to take a broad additional input from the stakeholders and the public. I will welcome the opportunity to avail the Senate of our findings.
“Regarding to wearing of uniform, I wish to advice that the senate avails itself of the legal basis of its decision to compel me to wear uniform.
“I am similarly taking legal advice on this issue so that both the senate and I will operate within the proper legal frame work.”
It was not clear last night whether the senate president gave him any assurance.
Col. Ali arrived at the National Assembly complex around 5.30 pm and moved straight to the office of Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan.
The embattled Customs boss was said to have been led to Saraki’s office by the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang and Senator Hope Uzodinma.
Senator Uzodinma (Imo West) is Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Excise.
The Customs CG wore his traditional white caftan with a cap to match. He was driven in a Peugeot 508 black car marked HQ 89CS.
The Custom CG was led to his car when he was leaving by Enang and Senator Kabiru Gaya.
He left the National Assembly complex around 6.49 pm after a private meeting with the Senate President.
A reliable source told our reporter that the Customs CG came to lobby for the Senate to soft pedal on his appearance. -
Customs CG meets Saraki over Senate’s summon
Ahead of his invitation to appear before the Senate on Wednesday, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) on Tuesday paid unscheduled visit to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.Col. Ali was said to have arrived the National Assembly complex around 5.30 pm and moved straight to the office of the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan.The embattled Customs boss was said to have been led to Saraki’s office by the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang and Senator Hope Uzodinma.Senator Uzodinma (Imo West) is Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Excise.The Customs CG came to the National Assembly wearing his traditional white caftan with cap to match.He was driven in a Peugeot 508 black car marked HQ 89CS.The Custom CG was led to his car when he was leaving the complex by Senator Ita Enang and Senator Kabiru Gaya.He left the National Assembly complex around 6.49 pm.The discussion between Saraki and the Customs CG was held under closed door. -
Resign if you can’t wear uniform, Senator to Custom boss
The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has been urged to resigned his appointment if he cannot wear the uniform and rank of his position when he appears before the Senate.
Senator Solomon Adeola of Lagos West stated this in a statement on Sunday in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Chief Kayode dunaro.
Adeola said it is regrettable that as a retired army colonel who should know the importance of uniforms, the Customs boss wants to demean and undermine the symbolic importance of uniforms, discipline as well as the authority it confers on the agency in its operation as a lawful body.
He said that the Senate Resolution summoning Ali to appear in Customs Service uniform and rank to explain his refusal to suspend the policy on duty on vehicles and other recent acts of the Customs was to protect the organisational integrity and discipline in the institution of the Customs Service as well as protect the interest of the people.
“We have had a Major General Haladu Hanniya as head of FRSC wearing the agency’s uniform as well as a Major Danjuma Maigari wearing even the KAI uniform in Lagos State all in a bid to promote agencies they lead. This is not the Abacha military era when a Sole Administrator was appointed to head the Nigerian Customs.” Senator Adeola stated.
According to Adeola, military and paramilitary uniforms inclusive of ranks are part of the symbol of a legitimate authority conferred on the wearer to carry out certain duties on behalf of the government.
“Except in covert operations, an officer in these organisations operating without uniform could be taken to be performing the illegal duty or worse, be taken as not representing the institution at all. And as stated on the floor of the Senate in plenary, the Comptroller General is a rank that can only be worn on uniform and not on mufti” the senator stated.
Senator Adeola said there is concern among officers and men of the Customs Service on the appointment of ‘outsider’ to head the agency as it is a morale killer, career progression inhibitor as well as damaging to the organizational growth of the service stressing that there may be the need to amend the Nigerian Customs Act to restrict appointment of CG to career officers as is done in the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Immigrations and the Nigerian Prisons Service.
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NLC to Customs: shelve duty collection on old vehicles
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to shelve its plan to compel vehicle end users to pay duties on such vehicles or face prosecution.
It said the policy was unrealistic and aimed at inflicting further hardship on the citizenry.
In a letter to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), dated March 7, NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba said while the congress supports the Customs in its efforts to carry out its responsibilities, it opposed the new policy because it was logistically-callous and aimed at creating unimaginable chaos as well as suffering for innocent vehicle end-users.
Wabba said it was common knowledge that duties on imported vehicles were payable at the point of entry, noting that subjecting vehicle end-users to this kind of trauma, majority of whom have no hand in the importation of their vehicles, was unfair and unacceptable.
According to him, porous borders being claimed by the Customs was not a justification for the proposed policy action.
It added that since the policy has received condemnation from all sectors of the economy, the Customs should devise a coherent response to deal with these challenges.
The letter said: “We strongly hold the view that those who break the law or seek to break the law should be sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The need to enforce tax laws in our country is all the more necessary because of social justice and other dwindling revenue sources. Our support for the Nigerian Customs Service is, therefore, not in doubt. If anything, the Customs should be encouraged to do their work well.
“However, we are opposed to this new policy for the afforested reasons: It is logistically-callous and will create unimaginable chaos and suffering for innocent vehicle end-users.
“It is self-serving and will in the end enrich unscrupulous Customs personnel, who contributed in no small to the present situation through acts of commission or omission. It will amount to rewarding their complicity.
“It is common knowledge that duties on imported vehicles are payable at the point of entry. Subjecting vehicle end-users to this kind of trauma majority of whom have no hand in the importation of their vehicles is unfair and unacceptable.”
It added: “There is no information on the vehicles to be excluded from this exercise. This presupposes that the owner of a Morris Minor or a Peugeot 404 brought into this country in the 70’s is similarly affected.
“Beyond this, a state of mental siege is being created by all manner of endless verification and re-certification exercises in the country. It is thus morally wrong to inflict on the citizenry this kind of discomfort.
“In view of the aforestated reasons, we strongly advise that the Nigeria Customs Service shelve this plan. Lessons ought to have been learnt from the violent outcome of the brutal raids of Ota market and the ambushing and extorting of money from vehicle-owners on the highway at Yuletide seasons.” Porous borders, Wabba said, were no justification for proposed policy action.
“Accordingly, in place of this unpopular policy which has received condemnation from all sectors of the economy, the Nigeria Customs Service should devise a coherent response that will deal with these challenges.
“Such a response, we believe, should focus on capacity-building, modernisation of operations, use of technology, massive corruption in the system and inspiration/incentivisation of officers and men for them to deliver on their mandate as well as meet annual targets,” the NLC President said.
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Customs hands over seized 661 guns to DSS in Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said it has handed over the 661 pump action rifles seized on Sunday January 22,2017, to the Department of State Security ( DSS) for further investigation.
The pump action guns, tucked inside a Mack truck with registration number BDG 265 XG were concealed in a 40 feet container before it was intercepted along Mile 2 – Apapa Road, Lagos, by the officers and men of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by the FOU’s spokesman, Jerry Attah, he said the handing over was done in Lagos .
Journalists at the venue of the handing over were prevented by the DSS operatives from taking pictures or be part of the said handing over ceremony.
The reporters at the scene were ordered to leave the FOU premises while the DSS operatives who were seen counting the guns did not tell reporters the number of guns handed over to them.
However, Customs sources told The Nation that 49 boxes containing a total number of 661 pieces of pump action rifles and other goods have been handed over to the DSS.
Attah, in his statement also said that two out of the three suspects who were arrested in connection with the illegal arms importation, Mr. Oscan Okafor (Importer) and Mr. Mahmud Hassan (clearing agent) have also been handed over to the Director-General of DSS, Mr Lawal Daura who Attah said, was represented by the Director, DSS, Lagos State Command, Ms Betty Adoki. The Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, DCG Dan Ugo, the statement said, represented the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd).
Ugo, according to the statement, urged well-meaning Nigerians to support the Customs with necessary information that could assist it to carry out its statutory responsibility.
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I was not employed to wear uniform – Customs chief
In an apparent response to Senate’s directive, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), declared on Friday that he was not employed to wear uniform.
Ali told TVC that rather he was appointed to work effectively.
The Senate had ordered him to appear before it on March 15 in his official uniform as a customs officer.
He was summoned by the senators over the Customs’ new order, asking all old vehicles to pay customs duty.
Customs offered a 60 per cent rebate for vehicles from 2015 below.
He said: “No! I was not appointed Comptroller General of Customs to wear uniform.
“Does uniform work or the person behind the uniform?”
On the criticism of the Customs for the recent invasion of the Sango Ota motor park in Ogun State where thousands of bags of rice were carted away on the allegation that they were smuggled, Ali said: “If we suspect that smuggled items are taken into your house, we have the right to cordon that house and go in to search.
“Am I doing my job or not? I think that should be what should worry the National Assembly.”
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Senators decry Customs’ rejection of directive on vehicle duty
The crisis of confidence brewing between senators and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has taken a new dimension.
The Senate yesterday summoned the NCS Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, to appear before it to explain why he disregarded its directive on payment of duty on old vehicles.
Besides unanimously adopting the prayer for the Customs boss to appear in plenary, the lawmakers resolved that he must appear in Customs uniform on Wednesday, April 15.
The resolution followed a motion by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) on alleged “disregard and disrespect of Senate resolution” to suspend the planned vehicle duty ultimatum due to begin on April 12.
Melaye said when he saw the front page of a national newspaper today, “initially my thought was maybe when I was sleeping this morning that there was a martial music that the military have taken over because such statement can only be made in a military government, where an individual, a parastatal, institution or an agency of government will confront the powers of the Nigerian Senate”.
”The front page read ‘Customs dares Senate’.
“Mr. President, I want to believe this is misrepresentation. Democracy is standing on three legs. One of the most important leg of democracy is the legislature and Nigerian Customs cannot function without the National Assembly because they cannot spend or survive without appropriations and oversight and if this Senate take a resolution and an agency of government will have the temerity, will have the guts, will have the strength to blatantly disregard the entire institution of the Nigerian Senate, it is a very dark day for democracy,” the senator said.
He added that when the Customs committee asked the comptroller-general of Customs why he was not wearing the rank of comptroller-general, he said “uniform men don’t wear uniform twice”.
Melaye said he asked Ali “under which law”.
“I educated him by reminding him that he retired as a colonel and that General Hannaniya retired as a General; he was appointed as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), he wore promptly and daily the uniform of the commission.
“Then if that position is a rank and you are not wearing that rank, it means you are not even proud of the Nigerian Customs,” he said.
He said the Senate would need to check properly, if Customs operativeswould now start checking duty certificates on Nigerian roads and it”will not be affected because if the President is coming, no customs men will stop him to ask him for his customs paper”.
“The Customs people will only salute and he will pass. If a senator is passing, including Ike Ekweremadu, when he is passing, nobody will stop him to ask for Customs papers; they have to standstill till his convoy passes.
“But we are doing it in the interest of the Nigerian people and they have now confronted the institution of the Nigerian Senate.”
He urged the Senate to invite the comptroller-general to appear in plenary and in uniform to either justify or falsify the statement credited to NCS before the Senate.
“If after his appearance he insists that he said it, and then I will recommend him for psychiatrist test,” Melaye said.
Senator Solomon Adeola (Lagos West), who supported the motion, asked the Senate to “put a stop to the high-handedness of the Comptroller General of Customs”.
Adeola said the Customs CG was “carrying out the affairs of this agency as if he is the managing director or the commander-in-chief of this country”.
Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) noted that it appeared that the NCS already decided to push Nigerians to the wall.
Marafa said: “I don’t see how somebody will buy a car from an authorised dealer with his papers and everything and Customs will stop you on the road, asking you for customs duty. It is not the responsibility of Nigerians to know which customs duty is fake or which is not fake. The time-frame given is not adequate and people need to be educated.”
He said the NCS should be told that the National Assembly’s duty was to protect Nigerians “and this kind of impunity cannot be allowed to continue.”
Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan agreed that what was reported about Customs CG daring Senate’s was enough to agitate the mind of senators.
He suggested that the CG be invited to “explain whatever it is that he intends to do first”.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, noted that the issue was of much concern to the Senate.
Ekweremadu said “activities of the NCS of late are of concern to all senators”.
He said: “Part of our responsibilities as parliamentarians is to maintain peace and anything that will cause the breach of the peace; it is our responsibility to ensure that we stem it.
“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, when he appeared before us, one the things he identified as our major problem is impunity.
“So, while we fight corruption, we must also in equal measures fight impunity. We cannot allow impunity to take roots in this country.
“Today, we are talking about vehicles that were imported many years ago but we forget that there are beds in our rooms that were also imported and prohibited. I believe that the earlier we deal with this matter, the better for all of us.
“So, I want to thank all of us for the concern and it is our responsibility to ensure that this kind of impunity is not allowed to take root.”
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Customs shuns Senate’s request on car import duty payment
•Service gives April 12 deadline, 60 per cent rebate
THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday shunned the directive by the Senate that it should suspend the proposed vehicle duty ultimatum due to begin on April 12.
The service has announced it was granting a 60 per cent rebate on the Duty Paid Value (DPV) on vehicles.
Addressing reporters at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja yesterday, its Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO), Joseph Attah, said the grace period began on Monday and would last till April 12 for vehicle owners and dealers to pay at the nearest Customs Area Commands, except for Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The spokesman said: “Visit any Customs command near you and verify your papers and know if the right duty was paid. Ignorance is no excuse. There is a one-month grace period for now with 60 per cent rebate.”
He insisted that “soon, owners of smuggled vehicles without duty will longer be able to register them or renew their vehicle papers”.
The Senate on Tuesday directed the NCS to suspend the directive until an explanation by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd).
But reacting, Attah said the Service would provide information to the National Assembly.
He said: “Senators are respected representatives of the people. When we visit them, we shall discuss and I’m confident that with the gains in this action, they’ll see reasons.”
According to him, the need to compel vehicle owners to pay duty was to boost revenue and enhance national security through the Vehicles Identification Number (VIN) Project.
It has the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal road Safety Commission (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and the Police as partners.
His words: “The benefit of this collaboration is that those who do not pay duty on their vehicles will not be able to obtain and register them in Nigeria. We believe that when all vehicles are properly registered and owners’ identities tied to them, national security will be enhanced.”
With the rebate, Customs said payment for 2015 vehicles and below that were directly imported and third party type (Nigerian used) is based on 35 per cent of the actual value as duty from which the owners will be mandated to now pay 40 per cent.
National President of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, at the briefing, said they supported Customs on the directive as they had meetings before it was issued.
Adedoyin said AMDON would activate an online platform where customers could verify vehicles with genuine duty payment.
On the one month period, Adedoyin said the association would call for further review or extension of the grace period when the need arises.
He said the Customs management might extend the deadline depending on compliance.
