The Nation Newspaper

Tag: diversion

  • Diversion of containers: EFCC swoops on Lagos ports

    Diversion of containers: EFCC swoops on Lagos ports

    Senior officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will visit the Lagos ports today, to investigate the illegal clearance of about 35 containers that were being moved to a Bonded Terminal in the Badagry- Expressway axis, but were allegedly diverted to an unknown destination without the appropriate duty paid to the Federal Government by the importers and the clearing agent, The Nation has learnt.

    Sources said the Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, directed his officers to investigate the matter after realising that the duty paid on the diverted 35 containers is over N2.5 billion.

    Sources said the Presidency became unhappy when it realised the involvement of some senior Customs officers from Tin Can Port and directed the EFCC officials to unravel their involvement.

    Sources said officials of the commission would also investigate other top officials of government agencies at the port and authenticate the freight forwarding firm that allegedly cleared the containers.

    “The government became worried when it was realised that some senior government officials were involved in the scam and that was why the EFCC has been drafted to the port to investigate the matter and other sundry issues to bring sanity to the port.

    “The Presidency is not happy that such quantum of goods could get out of the port without anybody accounting for them.

    “The issue becomes worrisome when certain individuals and agencies of government are deliberately thwarting the efforts of the Federal Government to sanitise the ports based on the high level of insecurity in the country. “If senior Customs officers can be involved in such shady deal, it means the government must be very vigilant so that some greedy individuals do not endanger the lives and property of the people,” the official said.

     

  • Floods: Ateke Tom flays diversion of relief materials

    •Says it will attract God’s wrath

    Diverting relief materials meant for victims of floods in Rivers state and others will be criminal and attract God’s wrath, a former militant leader in the Niger Delta, Chief Ateke Tom, has declared.

    He spoke yesterday in Ahaoda West after donating relief materials worth millions of naira to victims of the disaster in the area.

    He warned those diverting relief materials meant for the poor and displaced victims to desist, expressing displeasure over the act.

    The deputy governor, Tele Ikuru, had admitted to newsmen that relief materials, which cost the state over N300million, were being diverted.

    Ikuru, who is also the Chairman of the Rivers State Flood Relief Committee, declared that the criminal diversion of relief materials by leaders of communities would not be tolerated.

    Akete, who was represented by his senior aide, Mr. Richard Akinaka, pleaded with persons diverting relief materials to fear God.

    He said: “When you divert what is given to the poor to survive, whatever prayer made in anger by the displaced poor people on the matter will be answered by God. You cannot take away food from a hungry man and expect him to be happy.

    “Dubious people exist everywhere. You cannot take away unscrupulous human elements from every society. But I advise that it is necessary to be wary of stealing from the poor.

    “It is bad to hear that those who are supposed to give to the poor are the same people taking the materials given to the poor.”

    Ateke donated items of 50 bags of rice, eight bags of beans, 15 bags of salt, cartoons of soap, 200 litres of palm oil and groundnut oil.

    The camp coordinator, Mrs. Caroline Okpokiri, identified lack of big pots to cook food items for the displaced people as one of the major challenges facing the camp.