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Tag: Hameed Ali

  • Customs impound contraband valued N1.59bn

    Customs impound contraband valued N1.59bn

    The Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) intercepted various contraband with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.59 billion between the 1st to 30th of November.

    The Customs Area Controller ( CAC ) of the unit, Comptroller Garba Mohammed, said this when he conducted newsmen round Customs’ warehouses in Lagos on Wednesday.

    According to Mohammed, a total of 185 items were intercepted within the period under review.

    “The command intercepted 64 units of various types of vehicles under detention; 13,333 bags of 50kg parboiled rice; 15 parcels of Indian hemp; 205 bales of second-hand clothing and 1,390 cartons of frozen poultry products.

    “We intercepted 1,101 pieces of used tyres; 835 jerry cans of vegetable oil; 17 no. of 20ft containers suspected to be carrying wood under detention and 385 cartons of Tiffany cream biscuits.

    “Also intercepted were: 2,300 cartons of Tiffany chocolate cream fudge and toffee sweet as well as 137 cartons of block engine cylinder,’’ he said.

    The controller said five suspects were apprehended along with the seizures, while one of the suspects had been released on administrative bail.

    Mohammed said some 50kg bags of rice were intercepted and discovered to have been locally-produced.

    He said the bags of rice were intercepted while being re-bagged to deceive Nigerians that the commodity was imported.

    According to him, three bullet-proof jeeps were among the vehicles seized through Customs Intelligence.

    Read also: Customs destroys 700 cartons of seized poultry products – Official

    Report said one of the suspects, Mr Adams Oghenegare, a driver with GPC Truck Transport Company, said he was apprehended by Customs at Otta, along Agbara area of Lagos.

    Oghenegare said he loaded some 50kg bags of rice and used some cartons of Maggi to cover the consignment in order to deceive security agents.

    The controller said that some owners of the 57 vehicles intercepted in Omole Estate, Lagos by officers of the unit had not come forward for identification in order to pay the duty and to release their vehicles.

    Mohammed said smuggled vehicles and rice through the land borders would attract outright seizure following the Federal Government’s directives.

    He said importation of groundnut oil was prohibited through land or sea.

    Mohammed commended the Comptroller-General of customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali and the entire management team for providing the necessary logistics that brought about this feat.

    He also commended the media for their continued support and for using their medium in sensitising the public on the effects of smuggling on the nation’s economy.

    NAN

  • NCC seizes 28 containers of pirated works – Official

    NCC seizes 28 containers of pirated works – Official

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission ( NCC ), says 28 shipping containers comprising pirated books and audio-visual works were confiscated from 2011 to the first quarter of 2017.

    Mr. Afam Ezekude, the Director General of the NCC, said this during the signing of signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NCC and the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ), on collaborative anti-piracy operations at the nation’s ports and borders, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Mr Hameed Ali, Comptroller General of NCS signed on behalf of the service.

    Ezekude who lauded the NSC’s role in the seizure, said that the NCS remained its crucial ally in the commission’s anti-piracy drive.

    “This MoU is a step in the right direction as it has formally set in motion synergised efforts between us in our fight against piracy.

    “Movements of pirated works at border points through the air, sea and land, will henceforth be checked effectively.

    “This development has further reiterated our zero-tolerance stand against any means through which pirated works enter the Nigeria market,” he said.

    In his remark, the CG of NCS, Hameed Ali, said that since the organisations were involved in enforcement of government policies, there was need for them to work closely for effective delivery on their mandates.

    He therefore urged NCC to provide relevant expertise training on copyrights to officers of the NCS for them to be more effective in their hunt for pirated creative work at ports and borders.

    “We have realized that we need each other to work more effectively, and this MoU will help in achieving that goal.

    “However, there is need for relevant training for our officers so that they can identify pirated products from the original ones at the ports”, he said.

    The MoU which is for three years is subject to renewal thereafter.

    According to the chief executives, the MoU is to formalise and strengthen the inter-agency collaboration between the two organisations, and to explore further ways to collectively curb importation of pirated works into the country.

    NAN

  • Senate accuses CBN, NNPC, others of frustrating passage of 2018 budget

    Senate accuses CBN, NNPC, others of frustrating passage of 2018 budget

    The Senate Wednesday said that the refusal of key government officials to honour its invitation for the consideration of templates contained in the 2018 budget is hampering its plan to pass the budget before the end of December 2017.

    The upper chamber specifically named the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru and Controller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali as some of those who failed to honour its invitation.

    The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Director, National Bureau of Statistics, were also listed to have refused to appear before its committee to provide information that would aid the Senate to pass the budget on time.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi raised the alarm at a news briefing yesterday in Abuja.

    Abdullahi said that the Senate is disturbed by a situation where heads of ministries, departments and agencies are invited by the Senate in relation to the 2018 budget without the government official honouring the invitation.

    He noted that the joint Senate committee on Appropriation, Finance and National Planning held a crucial meeting on Tuesday to consider the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) where some heads of key MDAs were invited to throw light on the MTEF.

    He said that CBN governor, NNPC GMD, Customs Controller General, Director DPR and Director, National Bureau for Statistics who were duly invited failed to honour the invitation.

    The Senate’s spoke person said that the zeal of the upper chamber to pass the budget before the end of the year was being constrained by the action of the key agency officials.

    He said that some agency heads decided to send lowly placed officers who cannot be held responsible for any resolution.

    Insisting that it is important that the government top officials honour their invitation, Abdullahi said that dispatching lowly placed officers to stand in for them does not help matter.

    He said that nothing could be more important than the annual budget of a country “but these people decided to stay away.

    Asked whether the development would affect passage of the 2018 budget before the end of the year, Abdullahi said: “We are reporting back to the people of Nigeria the hurdle we are facing in the process of trying to meet the target. For me, I cannot give you any concrete commitment. What we are doing is to report back to the people.”

    Abdullahi said: “We want to report that the Senate is disturbed by a new trend where heads or chief executives of critical institutions who should play a critical role in this budget process but who choose to ignore the invitation by the Senate to appear before it for deliberation.

    “Specifically yesterday when we had a deliberation, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning was around. But based on the discussion we were supposed to have, to look at the revenue projections which are the basis for the MTEF, I want to report here that the GMD of NNPC refused to show up. Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria refused to show up. The Comptroller General of Customs refused to show up. The Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics refused to show up. And the Director of DPR refused to show up.

    “The question to ask here is this: if the national budget is very important and all of us depend on the resources of the country to run our businesses, what other business could be more important than looking at this very critical assignment for this country.

    “When you decide to send a representative that is powerless; that cannot answer critical questions; that cannot provide critical insight, it is as good as not showing up. And some of them never even sent anybody to represent them.

    “It is important that we report this because, overall, the media will still come back to us asking what progress are we making and why are we slow in taking decisions. I must make this very clear. We are trying our best and we want to see what progress we can make but we are constrained by some of these types of decisions or actions by some chief executives from the Executive side. Let it also be said that some people are not giving maximum cooperation to the National Assembly for us to do our job.

    “For example, on the issue revenue projections, where there are shortages, we will look at the performance in 2017 to see what informed the projection for 2018. But where these people are not there, how do you get answers to the things that agitate your mind? We are worried about this development and we want to urge all those who are responsible for some of these critical assignments must begin to realise that when the National Assembly is calling them, it is a national duty; it is a constitutional duty and they must take it seriously.

    “It is in anticipation of these kinds of questions that we are reporting back to you. The hurdles we are meeting in the process; when the National Assembly seeks for answers from the Executive, I think we should get those answers. That way, the process will not be impeded. I cannot make any concrete commitment because as much as we have our own internal conditions that are within our control, we also have external variables that seem to be beyond our control. One of such external variables is what I am reporting to you today.

    “It is not pleasant that when we commit to do our job, somebody is summoned and there is no response or send someone who is as good as not coming. If we ask an officer (certain questions) and they tell us they have to go back to confirm (the facts), then you have not sent an officer. If you send an officer who has full authority, when we ask then to explain issues, they can; if we ask them to make commitments, they can make it.

    “For the budget, what we are trying to say is that it is serious enough for all of these chief executives to honour the National Assembly by their presence so that we can look at these issues critically. In doing so, they will be honouring the request by their principal and our overall President and Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Meanwhile Joint Committee on Finance, Appropriation and National Planning and Economic Affairs laid the report of 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for consideration and adoption.”

    The MTEF and FSP are the plant upon which the budget estimates are built.

    Its adoption will pave the way for the consideration of the 2018 budget.

  • Customs seized 497,279 bags of rice in two years – DG

    Customs seized 497,279 bags of rice in two years – DG

    The Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) says it has seized 497,279 bags of imported rice between 2015 and August, 2017 with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.8 billion.

    The Comptroller-General of the service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, disclosed this in a document obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

    Ali said that 90,073 bags of rice were seized in 2015 with DPV of N693 million while 280,109 bags of rice were impounded in 2016 with DPV of N2.156 billion.

    He added that between January and August 2017, no fewer than 127,097 bags of rice were seized with DPV of N978 million.

    “From January to March this year, about four enterprises registered with Tinapa Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Calabar in Cross River State syndicated the importation of 533 containers of rice.

    He said the containers loaded with 299,564 bags of rice were brought into the free zone through Onne Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    “Certainly, this rice cannot be consumed within Tinapa and there is no value added through further processing as to bring it to Nigerian territory.

    “It took the Nigeria Customs Service a big battle with the importers and Tinapa authorities to compel them to re-export it out of Nigeria.

    “As at Sept. 19, this year, 299 containers were re-exported.

    “If this is to be allowed, it has the potential of undermining the food security policy of the Federal Government.

    “With the attendant consequence of driving all the industries in the chain of production out of business, primarily the local farmers and rice millers,” Ali said.

    He said that in the past, the Federal Government had introduced policies like Operation Feed the Nation and Green Revolution to ensure food sufficiency.

    He added that the major cause of failure of these policies was smuggling.

    According to him, it is the realisation of this that made the Federal Government to ban the importation of rice through the land borders.

    “The ban of rice importation through the land borders has made the task of fighting smuggling by the NCS more challenging.

    “Because major rice importers in the country have decided to shun the use of Nigerian ports and now divert their cargo to Cotonou where they bring it into Nigeria in trickles,” he said.

    NAN

  • Imported firearms: DSS, Customs bosses to face Reps 

    Imported firearms: DSS, Customs bosses to face Reps 

    The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali is to appear before the House of Representatives over what it described frightening influx of small arms and light weapon into the country.

    The Director General (DG) of the Department of State Security (DSS), Maman Daura is also expected to appear before the lawmakers to explain how he intends to tackle the menace of proliferation of small arms in the country.

    The invitation followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by Obinna Chidoka (PDP, Anambra), who expressed concern over interception and seizure of firearms totalling 2,671 pieces.

    The first consignment of arms was smuggled into the country  in January, the second in May and the third and fourth in September this year alone.

    He said: “It is of grave concern that the January 2017 firearm shipment was intercepted by the Nigerian Customs after it was purportedly checked and certified free to go with its deadly cargo and had indeed left the premises of the port when it was tracked down after a tip-off.

    “Equally worrisome is the fact that the recent firm arms seizure, which is the second in the month of September and fourth in 2017, would appear to suggest that the syndicate behind the influx of fire arms into the country had stepped up their nefarious trade, with far reaching consequences for the country, as fire arms and light weapons are the lifeblood of organised crimes and criminality.

    “It should also be a major concern that the Customs Service might not be adequately equipped and motivated to handle the influx of small arms and light weapons into the country, due to absence of functional scanners at the port to enable the agency to effectively scrutinise containers in line with global best practices.

    “The recent influx of firearms into the country has confirmed the recent report of the United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, which identified Nigeria as a destination of choice for smugglers of small arms and light weapons”.

    Also in its resolution, the House called on the NCS and other regulatory agencies to intensify checks at the Nation’s ports to control the influx of weapons into the country.

    The motion was unanimously adopted after a voice.

  • Another 470 rifles seized at Lagos port

    Another 470 rifles seized at Lagos port

    The Nigerian Customs Service on Thursday seized another 470 rifles at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

    The Comptroller –General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, who disclosed this to journalists, said the Federal Government would engage the Turkish government over spate of illegal importation of dangerous weapons from the Middle East nation to Nigeria.

    He said a meeting between the leadership of Customs and the Turkish Ambassador in Nigeria, has been fixed for Friday as part of efforts to fish out those directly or indirectly connected with the dangerous importation.

    He said the new container belongs to the same importer of the 1,100 rifles seized few days ago at the port.

    “The Customs’ leadership was sad because despite their previous efforts, our officers at the Tin-Island port had intercepted another 470 rifles shipped into the country from Turkey.

    “The importer of this deadly cargo was Great James Oil and Gas Limited, while the vessel MV Arkas Africa owned by Hull Blyth was used in the illegal shipment of the guns into the country,” the Customs Comptroller General said.

    According to Ali, the importer used the elbow plumbing plastic he declared in his Bill of Lading as a decoy to deceive the Service before the container No. CMAU189817/8 was subjected to 100 per cent examination by officers.

    He said Customs officers discovered that the guns were concealed in a 20-foot container.

    The guns were seized by the Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Command, Mr. Bashar Yusuf.

     

     

  • Customs intercept 1,100 rifles imported from Turkey

    Customs intercept 1,100 rifles imported from Turkey

    The Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) has intercepted 1,100 rifles which were imported into the country from Turkey under false declaration.

    The Comptroller-General of NCS, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, told journalists in Lagos on Monday that the seizure was the third interception of ammunition at Lagos ports within nine months.

    “As you may already be aware, the two previous cases are 661 Pump Action Rifles from Apapa Command and 440 rifles from this command.

    “The 20ft container No GESU2555208 was intercepted on Sept. 7 during examination, while the Bill of Lading falsely indicated wash hand basins and water closets.Customs seizes guns

    “An officer of the service alleged to have authorised the cutting of the seal and the terminal clerk have been arrested and are undergoing investigation.

    “NCS under my leadership will do all possible to fish out all those remotely connected with this devilish importation.

    “We shall bring them to justice,” Ali said.

     

    He said that the NCS would meet with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Foreign Affairs Ministry to stop illegal importation of ammunition.

    He said that the service would not only pursue the agents but would also go after the shippers and terminal operators who took custody of the consignments.

    The comptroller-general commended operatives of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) for discovering the rifles in spite of the false declaration.

    He also applauded the sister agencies for their collaboration with the NCS and urged the media to continue to disseminate information on the dangers of smuggling across borders.

    Ali said that the present NCS management would continue to re-position and fine-tune operational strategies of the service in line with the Federal Government’s policies toward a new and better way of serving Nigerians.

  • Customs deactivate 160 TINs over fraudulent bidding

    Customs deactivate 160 TINs over fraudulent bidding

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday told The Nation that last week, at the end of its 5th round of the ongoing e-auction bidding, it deactivated 160 Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) of fraudulent bidders.

    Speaking with our Abuja correspondent on phone, the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, noted that “the 5th round was smooth because of the measures that we put into effect, They have started yielding results.

    “We have deactivated over 160 TINs due to bogus and unrealistic bidding. Those measures of reprogramming the system we had seen a better bidding process at the end of the 5th bidding.”
    He said that 353 winners have emerged from the exercise.

    According to him, at the end of the 5th round, the total amount generated from the e-auction was in excess of N52million. He added that the 6th round commenced this week Monday.

    The spokesman said that “The 5th round produced 99 winners. So, when you add it up at the end of that 5th round we had 353 winners. And we have generated over N52million. And you know of course, the 6th round now has started on Monday.”

    He said that 19 banks are now participating in the ongoing auction and that the previous challenges that were associated with the process at the beginning have now given way owing to the different measures that the NCS took to address them.

    It will be recalled that the Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller-General, Hameed Ali (rtd) had this year introduced the e-auction bidding process to contain the corruption and lack of transparency that characterized the previous analogue bidding system.

    The Controller-General said:“In the past, stakeholders had accused the service of Nepotism, short changing the government of revenue through arbitrary auction fees to be paid by allottees and sundry corruption allegation against the service”.

    Two weeks after the launch of the process, for Jaiz Bank Plc, all the other Deposit Money Banks (DMB) refused to participate in the exercise giving room to the conjecture that the e-auction was skewed to favour Muslims and northerners.

    On July 18, Ali met with 17 Chief Executive Officers of banks in his office at Abuja, accusing them of sabotaging the e-auction process.

    The bankers, however, blamed their non-participation on technical hitches and promised to hook on to the system as soon as they overcame their hurdles.

  • Customs generates over N49m on e-auction

    Customs generates over N49m on e-auction

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N49 million on e-auction platform and recorded 254 winners in four weeks across the country.

    The Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah, announced this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    Attah said that 6,560 persons were able to recharge their e-wallet of N1000 administrative fee and participated in the bidding process.

    Attah explained that with 19 commercial banks hooked to the platform,interested bidders now have the option of choosing banks nearest to them for ease of
    transactions.

    “Four weeks after the official launch of the NCS e-auction platform, https: app.trade.gov.ng/eauction by the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, a total number of 254 winners have emerged across the country with over N49 million already generated.

    “NCS has already taken steps to deal with the challenges posed by fraudulent bidders who log in to frustrate other genuine bidders by
    placing bogus and unrealistic figures.

    “In some cases, they send SMS to supposed winners congratulating them. Apart from de-activating the Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) of these elements,the option for second highest bidder to win when the highest winner fails to pay has been jettisoned.

    “In such situation, the item reverts to the system for fresh bidding. Winners are informed only through e-mails from the system not by SMS,” Attah said.

    According to him, the System is being re-programmed to automatically reject such criminal antics

    Attah advised fraudulent bidders to keep off the platform and allow interested Nigerians to reap the benefits of the transparent system that presented equal opportunity to all.

    He said that NCS resolve to ensure the success of the e-auction, was motivated by the inherent benefits of the platform.

    Attah said that the platform was secured, provided opportunity to generate more revenue for government an gave equal opportunities to all interested persons.

    He added that the platform was transparent, accountable and free from vices associated with manual process of the past.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, NCS wishes to assure the general public that the e-auction platform will continue to go live for 48 hours
    between Monday, 12 noon to Wednesday, 12 noon every week,” he added.

  • Customs warns officers on information transmission

    Customs warns officers on information transmission

    The Comptroller- General, Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali retired on Tuesday warned officers of the service on information transmission.

    He said that “Consequently any non-designated officer that transmits or circulation information that should be properly handled by the PRO will be sanctioned.”

    He spoke while declaring the workshop on crisis communication which the service organised for its PROs and customs correspondents in Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

    According to Ali, messages from the NCS must always be correct and professionally communicated to the public.

    He noted that the ability of any organisation to deliver on its mandates depends largely on how it is understood.

    Ali said PR can, therefore, be a tool for entrenching higher integrity among operatives and compliance from stakeholders.

    The Customs boss revealed that NCS is among the few organisations in Nigeria that have already complied with Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) requirements that only members of the Institute are appointed as PROs.

    He recalled that in 2012, virtually all NCS PROs were inducted as Associate Members of NIPR.

    Ali vowed that NCS under his watch will continue to encourage professionalism by providing support for such training and retraining of PR officers in addition to other core Customs courses.

    NIPR president, Dr Rotimi Oladele decorated Ali as an ordinary fellow of the institute.

    According to him, Ali will always win in a crisis situation because he means well for the country.

    He advised the NCS to learn to extinguish crises.