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Tag: customs

  • PAAR is working, says ANLCA

    PAAR is working, says ANLCA

    The President, Association of  Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, has said the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is working.

    The ANCLA chief told The Nation that the challenges facing the agents were caused by human errors which would be addressed by the Customs.

    ANLCA, he said, was not against the new guidelines, urging other stakeholders to key into it.

    Shittu also urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to security at the ports, especially the Tin Can Port, Lagos where touts and ‘port rats’ are a nuisance.

    Shittu said many unwanted persons entered the port daily, despite recent efforts by Customs.

    Shittu said the call became necessary because the sector was the second largest source of revenue after oil and gas.

    Besides, he said multinationals and others who invest in the industry, pay huge taxes or duties and import charges into the Federal Government’s account.

    He said poor facilities, incessant sea piracy and insecurity at the ports could scare away investments  and hamper port operations.

    He further said importers and clearing agents were not left out of the menace.

    Shittu said the gridlock on the major roads to and within the ports and insecurity were some of the problems that needed to be addressed to sustain investments and growth in the sector.

    “The high level of insecurity at the seaports has become so widespread that, every importer must have, at one time or the other, experienced losses arising from theft within or on the roads that lead to the ports. As a Nigerian, I think it is not too much to ask the government to secure our ports,” he added.

  • 47 smugglers arrested in Owerri

    The Nigeria Customs Service  (NCS) Federal Operations  Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, Owerri has arrested 47 smugglers.

    The items seized from the smugglers include 1,617 bags of 50kg and 982 bags of 25kg of parboiled rice, 21 vehicles, 150 cartons of vegetable oil concealed in trucks with dutiable goods and empty gas cylinders, 130 bales of second hand clothing,1,314 cartons of imported frozen chicken and pairs of shoes.

    Its Area Controller, Dimka Victor David, said of the 47 suspected smugglers, 17 had been charged to court and four jailed.

    The Customs chief said the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is N123, 059,600.

    Dimka, who said smugglers have devised several ways to remain in their illicit business, assured that his men were better trained, equipped, mobilised and motivated  deal with smugglers.

    “Since the smugglers have learnt to fly without perching, the reformed Nigeria Customs Service officers and men have learnt to shoot without missing.

    “There is no hiding place for smugglers in Zone C because we will continue to monitor them, follow them, challenge them and get them arrested,” he said.

    Dimka warned those still in smuggling to desist, stressing that once arrested, the law would be brought to bear on them for their unpatriotic action.

    He said he was happy with the reform being carried out by the Comptroller-general of Customs, Alhaji  Abdullahi Dikko, and his management for their sustained assistance to officers and men of the service stating that this has continued to strengthen the performance of the unit.

    The Public Relations Officer of the command, Ifeoma Onuigbo Dimka, said she was happy that some of the stakeholders were complying with import procedures. She sought the support of  the public to give the unit information that could lead to the arrest of smugglers and seizure of their goods.

  • Customs chief sues publisher

    Customs chief sues publisher

    The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Dikko, has sued the publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Shipping World magazine, Asu Beks, at an Abuja Magistrates’ Court, Life Camp, Abuja, for allegedly publishing a defamatory report against him.

    In its July edition, Dikko said the magazine published a five-page article, with the headline, “Dikko’s Customs stinks” with a rider: “Presidency shops for his replacement”.

    In the report, the magazine allegedly accused Customs chief of bribery in the bid to retain at his position, despite running “a corruption-ridden NCS” and “squandering” N25 billion from a Customs dedicated account that had been dormant since 2012.

    Dikko said the publication also alleged that the anti-graft agency had compiled a long list of “sins” to send the Customs chief to prison.

    Dikko said the publication claimed that out of desperation to clean himself, he allegedly paid huge bribes to curry favour from the Presidency and the National Assembly.

    Angered by the allegations in the article, Dikko, through his lawyer, Amobi Nzelu, filed a suit pursuant to Section 143(d) and (e) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

    The Customs chief prayed the Senior Magistrates’ Court to issue a criminal summon against Beks, the magazine’s Managing Editor Sylvanus Ekpo and Editor Chukwunonso Udeh for alleged defamation and misrepresentation of facts.

    He claimed that the article jointly authored and published by the accused persons concerning him were false, malicious, baseless, as well as highly libelous and a calculated attempt to destroy his hard earned reputation and professional career without justification.

  • Customs sabotaging PAAR’s implementation

    The Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS) Investigation Unit is sabotaging the implementation of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) at ports, The Nation has learnt.

    The scheme was introduced by the Comptroller-General, Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi about nine months ago after the Federal Government suspended the contract of the former service providers to boost trade facilitation.

    Some of the Customs Investigating Unit (CIU) officers, findings revealed, are using the scheme to extort importers and clearing  agents.

    Importers and clearing agents, it was learnt, are no longer happy with the manner the CIU and Valuation Officers are implementing  PAAR, mostly in  quantity and value of cargoes.

    Importers and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), it was gathered, have started picking holes in the implementation of the scheme based on the attitude of the officers and are demanding the abolition of queries on values of the cargo to stem crisis at ports.

    Importers and the clearing agents, sources said, are not happy over the incessant querying of cargoes by CIU based on low value and alleged inflation of values payable on consignments at various commands.

    An importer, Felix Aderibigbe,  urged the Customs management to publish data value of all cargoes on the internet in order to make it accessible for those transacting business at ports.

    Contacted, ANLCA President, Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu said his association supported the Customs management when PAAR was introduced despite the out-cry by other stakeholders.

    The ANLCA chief,  however, said his members are worried over the attitude of some  officers of the outfit on the implementation of PAAR and urged its management to address the challenges facing the scheme.

    “We gave Customs all the necessary support in the last  nine months and this is the time for us to re-appraise PAAR, get our acts together, put down our observation and conclusions and make sure they go to the right channel for a review,” Shittu said.

    Another clearing agent and former Chairman of Tin Can Chapter, Kayode Farinto, condemned the re-routing of PAAR document by Customs officers to the tune of N30,000.

    “The CGC has said that PAAR is a final document, but we understand that PAAR is now being re-routed to the tune of N30,000 and our members are suffering.

    “If there is no discrepancy in quantity, nobody has the right to query PAAR, the CGC cannot be everywhere, but there are some officers trying to sabotage his efforts.

    “PAAR can be queried based on quantity or wrong declaration, but it cannot be queried based on value, whoever is doing that is a criminal,” Farinto said.

    The Coordinator, ANLCA Board of Trustees,  Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, also condemned the payment of 25 per cent penalty on every PAAR document queried by the Customs.

    He urged Customs to stop blocking cargo manifest an hour after it was keyed into the its computer system.

    ANLCA, investigation revealed, has set up a committee to collate the position of its members on the challenges of PAAR and other operational challenges facing the group at in the port.

    Shittu, it was learnt, assured his members that ANLCA will demand from Customs a publication of the value database for regularly imported items, just like it is being presently done for vehicle imports.

    Also PAAR , ANLCA said, should be declared sacrosanct for cargo clearance as the functions of Q and A office, CIU, gate officers, enforcements, and valuation units in the cargo clearance process should be expressly declared.

  • Agents: Customs underfunded

    Agents: Customs underfunded

    The National Association of Government Approved  Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over the underfunding of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    The association said inadequate funding was affecting the performance of the NCS and the Transformation Agenda of the  administration.

    In a letter titled: Re: Transformation Programme and Port Reforms of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, dated August 5, and sent to Jonathan by the founder of the group, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the group claimed that the service was being incapacitated by the Federal Ministry of Finance and that this is affecting freight forwarding.

    It said: “We have observed from our strategic point as critical stakeholders that at the moment, it is apparent that the Nigeria Customs Service is being underfunded, which may be affecting its operations and the freight forwarding business.”

    Aniebonam urged Jonathan to free the Customs from the lack-lustre performing Webb Fontaine, alleging that the frequent breakdown of its equipment was taking severe toll on service delivery to the port users.

    He said: “The constant down time of the ASYCUDA System being handled and managed by Webb Fontaine most times, slows down automation. We suggest that the Nigeria Customs Service be allowed to build a robust system that can accommodate and resolve the problem of down time syndrome. This is a capital project, which cannot be satisfactorily handled with the  underfunding of the Nigeria Customs administration and management.

    “It is in the public domain that between 2010 and 2014 (up to July), the approved budget for the Service may be N378.97 billion. Our checks revealed that Nigeria Customs Service may have just received N279.42 billion, leaving a balance of N99.55 billion. We have observed that the morale of officers is very low because their entitlements are not being paid on time and most times, they are not attended to.

    “It is a fact that the Nigeria Customs Service is a very critical agency of the government saddled with huge responsibilities which include, but not limited to revenue collection, anti-smuggling functions, inter-agency support service, business development and trade information services, post audit function, provision of trade statistics and trade facilitation among others.”

    Aniebonam said under the Destination Inspection Policy, the NCS has been given additional duty to manage and maintain scanners, training of officers and building superstructures and other capital projects that would enhance and sustain its operations.

    He said the low funding does not give the NCS sufficient leverage to add value to businesses at the ports. “As Nigerians, we are equally worried because the Nigeria is facing some security challenges. We wish to remind your Excellency, that the anti-smuggling function of the Service is strategic on matters of border security,” he said.

    He proferred solution, saying: “The way forward should include the much-expected new Customs law pending at the National Assembly seeking to grant the Service partial autonomy.”

  • ANLCA urges Assembly to pass Railway Bill

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents  (ANLCA) has urged the National Assembly to pass the Railway Bill.

    Its National President, Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu said this would facilitate the transformation of the sector and help evolve a functional rail system that would answer the yearnings of Nigerians.

    “With the gridlock on Oshidi-Apapa Expressway, it is not too much if we ask the National Assembly to pass the Railway Bill. “The rail system is still epileptic because the National Assembly has failed to pass the Railway Bill into law, which could have wooed lots of investors into it. The passage is going to mark the beginning of making rail respond to the needs of the society and Nigerians. We want the government and the law makers to focus on it and we have no iota of doubt that it can be achieved,” he said.

    Shittu further said the Federal Government had done the right thing by concession of the ports, which, according to him, has increased cargo and vessel throughput; improved their efficiency and created jobs for Nigerians.

    But he bemoaned the dependence on trucks to ferry cargoes out of the ports.

    He also said the ports regulatory policy had made a huge difference in operations, urging the lawmakers to facilitate the passage of the Bill to reposition the sector and boost the economy.

  • Ebola: Customs sensitises over 3,000 at border

    • NPA issues guidelines for port users on virus

    The Comptroller-General,  Nigeria Customs Service  (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, has sensitised over 3,000 persons at Seme border on the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). He urged them to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

    Customs has also limited the movement of commercial motorcyclists at the border from 6.00am to 10.00pm as part of its pro-active measures.

    Speaking at the border security meeting at Seme, Abdullahi, represented by the Area Controller, Willy Egbudin, said though the borders remained open, the Customs and other security agents, were partnering to prevent the desease from spreading further through Seme.

    He urged the Port Health Services to enlighten the people on the symptoms and effect of the contagious disease and how to prevent its spread.

    Many Customs personnel, Port Health Services, Army, Police and Immigration officials attended the event.

    The Customs boss, specifically, told the people to stop eating bush meat and bats to avoid contracting the disease.

    He urged them to maintain a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene, asking them to give information to security agents on suspicious movements and happenings in their areas.

    “The borders are not closed but we are here to sensitise the people on what to do, what to avoid and to stress the need to maintain personal hygiene because of Ebola.

    “Before the outbreak of the Ebola virus, we have been talking about security issues and that has to do with restricting okada movement because in our security meeting, we discovered that some contrabands coming into the country were being carried out through the use of motor cycles.

    He said the service had been receiving reports of suspicious travellers being dispossessed of their valuables by some unscrupulous commercial motorcyclists/tricyclists.

    He said some motorcyclists had also been dispossessed of their motorcycles by criminals who pose as passengers.

    Sadly, some motorcyclists did not live to tell their stories as they were murdered by some presumed normal passengers, he said, adding that investigation has also shown that these nefarious acts and other cross-border crimes were mostly committed in the late hours of the night.

    “In view of the foregoing, the joint border security meeting in partnership with the association of commercial motorcyclists and tricycles, has decided to flag off this pro-active security measure towards national security at Seme border.

    “On this note, operational activities of the two associations at Seme border and its environs will start from 6.00am and end before 10.00pm everyday, for security reasons,” warning that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.

    Customs and other security operatives around the border, he said, have no option than to take security of the nation serious with the prevailing health and national security challenges.

    “At a time like this, we are all working in synergy to prevent the deadly Ebola virus disease from entering the country through any of our borders.

    “As a nation, we are passing through serious health and security challenges in our development that requires the collective efforts of all citizens,” Abdullahi said.

    Also, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has issued guidelines to its employees and port users on the risks posed by Ebola.

    NPA’s Managing Director, Mallam Habib Abdullahi has, therefore, urged port operators, especially first-line contact officers, against negligence when dealing with foreigners and vulnerable groups, adding that the Nigerian ports are gateways and that they could be vulnerable.

    “We have begun enlightenment campaign at all ports and terminals about the origin, symptoms and mode of transmission of the virus. They are also being taught how to identify people at high risk, diagnose, contain and prevent infection.

    “The medical department of the NPA has equally issued guidelines to all its personnel on protection and prevention measures to be adopted in the discharge of their duties.

    “These precautionary measures to be instilled in the workplace environment and in the port terminals will be carried out in collaboration with the Health, Safety and Environment Division of the authority,” Abdullahi said.

    The NPA boss said the move was in line with the information from the World Health Organisation (WHO). He expressed sympathy to those who had contracted the virus in the course of duties, noting that the NPA would ensure that port facilities were Ebola virus-free.

     

  • Customs seizes 1,608 goods

    Customs seizes 1,608 goods

    The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos of the Nigerian Customs service (NCS)  seized 1,608  various banned goods in the first half of the year.

    The goods were worth N612, 513, 600, with a payable duty of N323, 823, 327 and a duty paid value (DPV) of N936, 336, 927.

    This figure represents over 50 per cent increase compared with the seizures and proceeds of a corresponding period of last year.

    Some of the items mostly included but not limited to the following: rice imported through unapproved routes, foreign frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, used tyres, fridges, compressors, used vehicles, spaghetti/noodles and other general goods. In addition to the above, the Unit also apprehended a total of 111 suspects in connection with the seizures within the period.

    The Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Comptroller Nuhu Isa Mahmoud, said  the Unit has keyed into the full automation of the NCS procedures and with a robust Assycuda section in the Unit, trade facilitation has been made easier.

    The Assycuda ++ (Automated System for Customs Data) enables all Customs Commands to assess information online. This is targeted at trade facilitation.

    “Our full integration and high compliance in this regard accounted for some of the remarkable results which the Unit recorded during the period,” he said, adding that there is high level coordination, synergy and collaboration with the critical stakeholders like the community residents, freight forwarders, traditional institutions, and the media.

    The Controller said the Unit can boast of very rugged and fearless officers who will not be intimidated by the hostile tendencies of smugglers. “We will go extra mile to deal with the issue of smuggling in view of its adverse effect on the security and economy of the nation.

    “The Unit will continue to justify the confidence which the Federal Government reposed on us. The remaining part of the year will witness a further boost in our anti-smuggling initiative.”

  • Customs intercept 23 vehicles in Oyo

    Customs intercept 23 vehicles in Oyo

    The Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS)  has intercepted 23 fairly-used vehicles loaded with 2,446 imported bags of rice estimated at over N30 million.

    Area Controller of the command, Richard 0teri, told reporters in Ibadan yesterday that 21 of the vehicles were intercepted in a convoy driven by smugglers.

    Many residents of the city and other law enforcement agents were attracted by the big haul as they gathered at the Command’s Bodija Headquarters Ibadan.

    Oteri said the command’s anti-smuggling operatives impounded the rice and vehicles at Ilero-0tu Road, off Saki-Iseyin Road in Kajola Local Government and Alaraba village in Atiba Local Government Area.

    “The seizures represent a huge loss on the part of these elements despite the fact of a jail term that awaits any of them who will be arrested as a result of our long drawn investigative net,” he added.

  • Customs boss, others fingered in alleged N7m fraud

    Customs boss, others fingered in alleged N7m fraud

    These are not the best times for Mrs. Nkiru Okere, Managing Director of Nkylinks Business Concept Limited, a firm dealing in imports and exports.

    Having sought to purchase used motor spare parts worth about N4, 000, 000 from Dubai in January, the business dealing which involved her husband, brother-in-law and his younger brother seems to have turned awry.

    A petition tagged: ‘An Urgent Complaint of Abuse of Official Powers, Harrassment, Initimidation, Assault, Unlawful Detention and Seizure Against Mr. K. Mohammed, Deputy Comptroller Enforcement, Apapa Area Command,’written and signed by Theophilus Idehen for Abdulmalik Chambers and sent to the Commissioner of Police, Port Police Command, Marina, Lagos, made available to The Nation, alleged that: “Sometime in the month of January 2014, our client was defrauded of the sum of N4, 000, 000 (Four million Naira) and her container with No: PONU 0963916 criminally and deceitfully converted by one Tony, her supposed husband and his younger brother Ifeanyi.”

    According to the petition, the duo of Tony and Ifeanyi had in January swindled Mrs Okere by changing the name on the bill of lading of her container such that when it arrived Lagos, it bore Test and See Global Resources, a company name different from hers, Nkylinks Business Concept Limited.

    In the petition, Idehen also frowned at harassment and unlawful detention against his client by the Nigeria Customs Service, saying his client was detained in a cell with male inmates for over eight hours on orders of a Deputy Comptroller when she sought to clarify issues surrounding her container.

    “The big question here calling for answer sir; Whose interest is the Deputy Comptroller serving?” Idehen asked in the petition.

    An earlier petition dated on the 23rd of April and also addressed to the Commissioner of police, Port Police Command stated that Mrs. Okere had reportedly paid the sum of N3million, $2, 400, $3, 700 and N350, 000 separately to the duo of Tony, Ifeanyi respectively, for which she got nothing in return.

    Expatiating, the lawyer said: “our client informed us recently that she has been receiving strange telephone calls from unknown persons telling her to drop this case otherwise, she would not live to see the end of this matter.”

    As at press time, attempts by The Nation to reach the Nigeria Customs Service for comments were futile as the spokesman of the Service failed to pick his calls or respond to text messages sent to his GSM mobile.