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Tag: importer

  • Importer petitions Ali over ‘extortion’ at port

    An importer, Mr Emeka Afamefuna, has petitioned the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (retd.) over alleged corrupt practices and extortion by some offices of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Lagos sea port, The Nation has learnt.

    The petition, it was learnt, followed a huge and un-receipted amount the officers allegedly collected from him through his clearing agent.

    In a May 31 letter, exclusively obtained by The Nation, the importer accused two officers of the NCS at the PTML Customs Command in Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, of collecting over N10 million bribe from his agent.

    Afamefuna urged Col. Ali to probe the officers.

    The petition letter reads: “I wish to notify you of the corrupt and extortionate practices being perpetrated by (NCS officers) and their cohorts at PTML Customs Command, Lagos.

    “According to the clearing agent I engaged to clear the cars I imported from the United States of America (U.S.A), one would have to part with money, even before the Customs Duty to be paid is assessed. Anyone who refuses to play ball is slammed with a prohibitive tariff and would probably have to abandon the vehicles (or whatever other items) as it would not make economic sense to part with an amount that exceeds the face value of one’s goods.

    “In my particular case, (NCS officer) collected N2,000,000 for and on behalf of herself and the corrupt gang, before a total duty of about N20,000,000 was assessed and paid into government coffers.

    “Thereafter, she collected additional N8,000,000 cash that was not receipted (according to my clearing agent). One week after, she again demanded N4,000,000, ostensibly for Customs Area Commander, who she claimed demanded the cash to ‘settle the ogas in Abuja’.

    “Due to the hurdles erected by these egregiously corrupt characters, the process of clearing my vehicles from the port took all of 30 days! Is this the Nigerian government’s idea of ‘Ease of Doing Business’? Is it not unconscionable that these unscrupulous personnel of the NCS made me incur needless demurrage? Is it not clear that the Muhammadu Buhari administration anti-graft war has not even begun in view of what transpires at our seaports everyday?

    “It is only the Nigerian government that does not know, or feigns ignorance, of the fact that officials of the NCS invest aggressively in landed property and keep their loot in foreign exchange as they cannot deposit money in bank accounts (even before the advent of BVN) lest suspicion is raised as to the source of millions (yes, millions) of naira they extort from importers like me everyday.

    “Sir, even after goods have been released from the ports, Customs officials still ambush importers and demand money from them before they are allowed to proceed to their destinations. For instance, right in front of Area “B” Police Station (opposite Leventis Stores), a Toyota Hilux with the number plate of the NCS painted in the green colour of the Service, is stationed on the road under construction (constituting a nuisance to other road users by disrupting traffic flow), for the sole purpose of extorting money from owners of goods that have been cleared from the seaports and are exiting Apapa.

    “It is also not uncommon for the officer to get to work after mid-day! There are days that work is capriciously grounded because Customs officers are in celebration mode. An example was when the subject was recently promoted and refused to do any work for one whole day with importers bearing the brunt of her irresponsible behaviour by incurring extra demurrage charges.

    “No work was done at PTML either, on the day the officer resumed duty! This is not to mention occasions when Customs officials claim they are experiencing network issues and, therefore, fail to process importers’ papers.

    “Posterity will judge us harshly if we fail to rein in the bribe-taking and extortionate appetite of men and women of the NCS (provided you are not one of the “Abuja ogas” they claim to send money to every Friday).

    “What obtains at all our seaports nationwide (but particularly in Lagos) is the grandest form of graft and corruption being perpetrated by Customs officers. And, for your information, sir, a good number of NCS officials also double as clearing agents in patent breach of the code of conduct for public officers.

    “Is it not unfortunate that this state of affairs is worsening considerably under an administration that is posturing to be waging a war against the twin vices of graft and corruption?

    “Lest we turn to those you preposterously characterised as ‘lazy Nigerians, please’, use your good offices to bring about a change of attitude in Customs formations around the country as the situation I have described above is being replicated nation-wide.”

    But NCS spokesman Muhammed Yakubu urged the importer to provide the ‘C’ number of the affected vehicles so that they would trace their history, know those involved in the release and conduct thorough investigation that will reveal the scam, if there was any.

    “We need to know the type of vehicles the petitioner is talking about, the amount that was paid by his agent and when the vehicles were released from the port so that the command can pin down those who collected the alleged bribe from them,” Yakubu said.

    Another senior officer of the command, who spoke in confidence, advised the importer and his clearing agent to tender the papers on the importation of the vehicles and the total amount the importer paid as duty.

    “Anybody can write a petition against anybody. But the fact remains that the petitioner must be able to substantiate his allegation with enough facts.

    “Before a man could be asked to pay N2 million with additional N8 million and he agreed to pay, something tells us that something must be wrong somewhere. This is because the amount we are referring to is not small money; it is not the money we use to buy biscuits. This is a big amount of money. We would like to investigate if the petitioner can provide us with the ‘C’ number of his vehicles,” the officer said.

    A clearing agent, Mr Segun Adesanmi, said the Association of the Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) was aware of the problems its members were facing at the command.

    The agent urged Col. Ali to address the problem.

    “Many of us have the same experience with some scrupulous officers of the command.

    “With the current allegation against the officers of the command, we have no iota of doubt that the anti-corruption crusade of Col. Ali is facing a big litmus test.

    “Importers, clearing agents and other stakeholders are waiting to see what Ali will do to those who committed the crime,” he said.

    Will officers involved be sacked or prosecuted, as promised by Ali, to boost the anti-corruption campaign of the Federal Government and deter others? This is the question industry watchers want the CGC to answer in the next few weeks.

    Investigation revealed that some of the vehicles were brand new, the duty paid and the amount collected as bribe may put the officers in trouble if the CGC re-open the file of his anti-corruption crusade.

     

  • Importer charged with N50m fraud

    A self-styled importer, Chukwudi Nwankwo, was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court for allegedly obtaining N50million from two men under the pretext of supplying them with pregnancy test kits.
    Nwankwo, 45, was arraigned before Magistrate O.O. Oshin on a four-count charge of obtaining, stealing and issuing a dud cheque.
    Prosecuting Superintendent of Police (Supol) Eshiet Eshiet said the defendant and others at large conspired to commit the offence sometime in April 2015, at Aguda in Surulere, Lagos.
    He said Nwankwo collected the money from Francis Akaegbusi and the late Eugene Nwokoye under the pretext that he would import a pharmaceutical product called Accurate Pregnancy Test Kit for them.
    The prosecutor said Nwankwo, with an intent to defraud, issued a Fidelity Bank dud cheque dated February 25, 2016 for N21,650,000 in favour of the complainants, but it was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in his account.
    “One of the complainants in the case Eugene Nwokoye died in the process,” Eshiet said.
    The defendant pleaded not guilty.
    Magistrate Oshin granted him N2million bail with two sureties in the like sum. One of the sureties, the magistrate said, must be a level 16 officer with the Lagos State government.
    One of the sureties must also be a landed property owner in Lagos and must deposit N2million in the government’s account
    The case was adjourned till May 31.

  • Importer charged with N50m pregnancy test kit fraud

    Importer charged with N50m pregnancy test kit fraud

    The police have accused a self-acclaimed importer, Chukwudi Nwankwo, of obtaining N50million from two men, under the pretext of supplying them with pregnancy test kits and issuing them with a dud cheque.
    ‎Nwankwo, 45, was arraigned Monday before Magistrate O.O. Oshin of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on a four-count charge of obtaining, stealing and issuance of a dud cheque.
    Prosecuting Supol Eshiet Eshiet said the defendant and others at large conspired to commit the alleged offence some time in the month of April 2015, at Aguda in Surulere, Lagos.
    He said Nwankwo collected the alleged sum from two men, Francis Akaegbusi and Eugene Nwokoye, who is now late, under the pretext that he would import a pharmaceutical product called Accurate Pregnancy Test Kit, for them but did not do so.
    The prosecutor also said that Nwankwo, with an intent to defraud, issued a Fidelity Bank dud cheque dated February 25, 2016, in the sum of N21,650,000, in favour of the complainants which was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in his account.
    “One of the complainants in the case Eugene Nwokoye died in the process,” Eshiet said.
    According to the ‎prosecutor the offences are punishable under Sections 409, 312(3), 285(10) and 319(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
    The defendant pleaded not guilty.
    Magistrate Oshin granted him N2million bail, with two sureties in the like sum, one of whom must be a level 16 civil servant with the Lagos State government.
    One of the sureties must also be a landed property owner in Lagos ‎and deposit N2m in the state government’s account
    The case was ‎adjourned till May 31.
  • Unknown importer

    Unknown importer

    Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti was thrown from a distance far enough to break her down. She was old already and just enjoying her son’s hospitality when the devils came in uniforms and messed things up. She died later, most likely as an after-effect of the cruelty of man to man. Or is it man to woman, in this case?

    It all happened at Kalakuta Republic, that small country Fela Anikulapo-Kuti founded but never got the United Nations to recognise.

    The government of that era said it probed the attack on Fela’s Republic, which occupied a conspicuous spot in Ojuelegba, Lagos mainland, and it found out the character behind it all was an unknown soldier. This ridiculous claim led to a hit song ‘Unknown Soldier’ by the late Fela.

    After the Unknown Soldier saga, we have seen others such as unknown armed robbers, unknown assassins and so on and so forth. Bola Ige, Marshal Harry and an endless list of others were killed by unknown assassins. Unknown robbers have rendered many penniless and lifeless. And security agencies have not been able to remove the veils on the faces of these unknown characters.

    I remembered the Unknown Soldier case because of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). This is the story: Exactly a week ago, the Customs said it impounded two helicopters brought in by unknown importer. It said the seizure of the two civil models Bell helicopters was done by its Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command.

    The Customs was not done. It said it immediately handed over the helicopters to the Nigerian Air Force for use in the fight against insurgency.

    Customs accused the importers of failure to produce the end user certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), thus contravening Section 36 (2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act.

    The Customs Area Controller, Frank Allanah, said the duty value of the two helicopters and other accessories was about N9, 757,135,240.86. The choppers, said he, were detained at the Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) shed.

    “The unknown importer could not produce end user certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA); an act which contravenes section 36 sub section 2 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) laws of the federation of Nigeria  2004. Consequently, seizure was effected on November 7, 2016 in line with section 46 of CEMA.”

    Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said the configuration of the two Bell choppers and accessories is fitted for military combat operations.

    The day after, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike came out with information which exposed the agency’s underbelly and revealed the previous day’s event as nothing but a show of shame. And my heart was broken.

    Contrary to the Customs’ claim, the importer of the helicopters was not unknown. The importer is Rivers State government. The helicopters were imported in 2012 when Rotimi Amaechi was governor. Evidence shows that Governor Nyesom Wike wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari asking that the two helicopters be handed over to the Nigerian Air Force. He also wrote the Customs on the high duty charged for the helicopters.

    Wike said: “These helicopters were imported by the immediate past administration. When I assumed office, we wrote to the Federal Government that it was strictly for security use. What am I going to use armoured helicopters for?

    “In any case, where will the Rivers State Government get money at this time to import armoured helicopters? The previous administration imported it because they had the money.

    “I went to the Federal Government to give me a waiver for us to clear the helicopters, but the Federal Government refused. I wrote a letter to the President and to assure him that the helicopters are meant for security purposes, it should be handed over to the Nigerian Air Force. We stated that we cannot pay the custom duties because the helicopters are not for commercial use. They are to be used to monitor the creeks and track criminals.

    “I wrote to the President to give the helicopters to the Airforce.  It is shocking that the custom would turn around to claim that they impounded the helicopters. The Chief of Staff to the President admitted that I have done well when I wrote the letter to the President.”

    More facts were to come out when Amaechi issued a statement last Sunday. And after going through his statement, I felt ashamed about the obvious lies told by the Customs. What did the agency and its leadership hope to gain by lying? Shame guys, shame!

    I even had more cause to be sad when, from Amaechi’s statement, it became clear that $15m, which is like half of the cost of the helicopters, came from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). What this means is that the helicopters are jointly owned by Rivers and the Federal Government.  A waiver was actually granted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration for the clearance of the helicopters. They were to be operated and managed by federal security agencies in collaboration with the Rivers State government. But when the helicopters eventually came, Amaechi and Jonathan had fallen apart and the then president did not give the consent for their release. They were left to waste away at the airport, only for the Customs to lie to us that the helicopters, partly owned by the Federal Government, was imported by an unknown person. Cover you heads in shame guys.

    Another side of it that I will blame the Customs for is creating a room for Amaechi and Wike to clash yet again. Amaechi said Wike fed Jonathan with lies that led to his government’s inability to clear the helicopters. The governor has described the claim as hogwash. He said his former boss ordered for the helicopters because he could not provide good governance to the people.

    The micro-blog, twitter, was also another medium through which Amaechi threw jabs at his successor. In a series of late night tweets on Monday night, which have so much in common with his statement on the matter, he said Rivers would be safer if Wike had cleared and taken possession of the helicopters.

    He said: “I am deeply troubled that Gov Wike has abandon & dump the 2 Survellance helicopters that would make R/State a far more secured & safer place

    “Wike took an oath to protect lives & property, yet he plays politics with the lives of Rivers people. Sad, very sad.”

    Although Wike did not personally reply him, some people with sympathy for the governor took him on. One of them even went to the ridiculous extent I dare not mention here. To those with sympathy for the governor, there was no nexus between the helicopters specially-built to track criminals and a safer Rivers!

    Those who supported Amaechi with their tweets hailed him for expressing his concerns over the ‘loss’ of the helicopters.

    My final take: I am still baffled why Customs chose to follow a bad route. It was simply needless. What sense is there in abandoning a tarred road and choosing a path riddled with thorns and broken bottles? Unfortunately, its miscalculation has renewed a rivalry only heavens know when it will end. It has also unfortunately introduced us to another unknown character. This time it is the unknown importer. It is time government agencies stopped lying to us. They are not paid with tax payers’ money to lie but to give us quality service.

  • Customs seizes 661 pump action guns

    Customs seizes 661 pump action guns

    •Clearing agent detained

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 661 pump action rifles in Lagos following a tip- off.
    The guns, concealed in a 40-foot container with number PONU 825914(3)45G1, were seized on Mile 2 Oshodi/Apapa Expressway by Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone “A” Ikeja operatives.
    The importer declared them as iron doors from China. But on being examined at the FOU office, they were found to be guns.
    Speaking with reporters in Lagos yesterday, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) said the importer, Oscan Okafor, 51, his clearing agent, Mahmud Hassan, 56, and Sodique Mustapha, 28, who accompanied the Mack Truck marked BDG 256 XG used in conveying the guns on January 22, have been arrested.
    Ali said all Customs officers involved in the release of the cargo from the port are in detention.
    The inscription on each gun is Tornado and it was designed in Italy for JOJEFF MAGNUM.
    The guns, Ali said, were under “absolute prohibition which renders their importation illegal”.
    “Such deadly contravention of the law is even more unacceptable considering the fragile situation in some parts of the country. Investigation has commenced and I have directed that the dragnet should be wide enough to fish out all persons involved in the importation and clearing of the consignment.
    “Already, the officers involved in the clearance of the container are with the Comptroller FOU Zone ‘A”, Ikeja,” Ali said.
    Other items inside the container are iron doors, water equipment, furniture, Solo toilet rolls, spaghetti, Ideal vegetable oil, used chairs, foams and other house hold utensils.

  • ‘Why NNPC is major importer of fuel’

    ‘Why NNPC is major importer of fuel’

    Why have marketers left the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to import the bulk of the fuel locally consumed?

    Marketers do not have access to foreign exchange (forex), the Chief Executive Officer, OVH Energy Marketing Limited (formerly Oando Marketing Limited), Yomi Awobokun, has said.

    Awobukun said OVH has the capacity to distribute two billion litres, which was the maximum the firm did when there were no supply issues.

    He noted that at the height of importation, the firm was importing on its own 1.2 billion litres through self-raised letters of credit, which was the reason Oando was owed substantial amount of subsidy when the government was paying subsidy reimbursement to marketers.

    He noted that as a result of the current economic realities caused by oil price slump and forex access challenges, marketers found it difficult to import. “The downstream has been going through significant challenges including the unavailability of forex, drop in crude price and as a result of the entire externalities the economy is going through; therefore the NNPC should live up to its responsibility of ensuring energy security,” he said.

    According to him, the government through the NNPC has the responsibility to ensure energy security and provide fuel for vehicle owners. “This is apt because NNPC has the responsibility to generate income from Nigeria’s assets. But as marketers, our primary role is to meet the needs of the stakeholders, either the shareholder or customer.

    “Therefore, we only import where the capacity to import exists. As a marketer, I need to provide product at my retail outlets and also make profit, but to import I need forex. Currently, I cannot generate forex to import. So, in the last one and half years because of what the country is going through, NNPC has played a bigger role in fuel importation. We (marketers) are importing, but only to augment what NNPC imports as against in the past when NNPC imports to augments us.

    “But the fact that NNPC imports more now is vital. It helps to significantly reduce what marketers are owed and ensures that there is fuel at the stations. Besides, it makes reconciliation of transactions between the corporation and marketers easier.

    Awobokun, who spoke in Lagos during an interaction with reporters to formerly unveil name change of Oando Marketing Limited to OVH Energy Marketing Limited said all the shareholders agreed that a name change will boost the capacity of the company. He said the new name reflects current shareholders of the company. The OVH represents Oando, Vitol and Helios. Vitol and Helios recently bought into the company. The deal was sealed on June 30 this year.

    He said although the corporate name has changed, the products of the firm are licensed to be marketed as Oando in order to sustain the Oando heritage and market share. “All the shareholders agreed that a name change will boost the capacity of the company, but to sustain the Oando heritage and entrepreneur, OVH is licensed to market its products as Oando. Our intention is grow our reach, stabilise prices and supplies and add value to our shareholders.

    “The major value of this partnership is that it enabled access to capital by Oando. The downstream has been going through significant challenges including the unavailability of forex, drop in crude price and as a result of the entire externalities the economy is going through. The future leaders of this industry are those that are able to access capital. So the best of the deal is that it puts Oando to access capital and ensure supply. The partnership puts us in good stead to dominate the market.”