The Nation Newspaper

Tag: seizures

  • SON Act yielding product seizures, says DG

    SON Act yielding product seizures, says DG

    Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Director General Osita Aboloma has described the SON Act as “a revolutionary document”, which has assisted the organisation in delivering on its mandate of sanitising the country of unwholesome products.

    Aboloma stated this at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on SON Act 2015 in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

    According to him, within the last few months, the standards body has confiscated fake and sub-standard products worth billions of naira across the country.

    He maintained that it had since embarked on arraignment and trial at the various courts of some of the suspects linked with the impounded goods.

    “We are not resting on our oars. We, therefore, appeal to all to be aware of the Act, comply with its provisions, particularly areas dealing with how operators should do the right thing for their businesses to grow,” he advised.

    He, however, stated that the work of standardisation was to grow Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), promote agro-allied sector, as well as ensure industrial and economic development.

    This, according to Aboloma, became imperative to engage stakeholders in different sectors of the economy.

    “We need to use the instrumentality of SON Act NO.14 2015 to attain economic development. We are spreading our tentacles to the states and geo-political zones. Product counterfeiters have no place to hibernate. With the re-invigorated monitoring and enforcement strategies we are putting in place, our dragnet will get economic saboteurs anywhere, anytime,” he said.

    He noted that the theme of the workshop: “SON Act 2015: Catalyst for economic development”, was germane and quite in tune with the current efforts by the Federal Government to turn around the nation’s economy.

    “We decided to conduct nationwide stakeholders’ sensitisation workshops on the Act not only in order to enlighten people on the provisions of the Act but equally to strengthen stakeholders’ engagement and collaborations. The positive outcomes and impact of the sensitization exercises in places where they have been conducted so far have been so encouraging. This forum would therefore not be different in eliciting attention and challenging participants on the issues to be raised by our competent facilitators and resources persons,” he stressed.

    A Principal Partner, Agbonhese, Agbonhese & Co, Dr. James Agbonhese, in his presentation tagged “SON ACT 2015: Vehicle For Quality and Standard Products” explained that the new Act was a remarkable improvement on the old Act ,which gave SON extremely limited powers to pursue its mandate.

  • Customs probes two over N537.3m seizures

    Customs probes two over N537.3m seizures

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is investigating two unamed  persons for 203 assorted seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth N537.3 million, it was learnt at the weekend.

    The disclosure was part of the scorecard presented by the Head of Headqurters Compliance Team, Northern Axis, Assistant Comptroller Musa Jalo on the team’s operation.

    Customs Comptroller General Col. Hammed Alli inaugurated the team in December to complement efforts of policing the borders.

    The assistant comptroller said records showed that the enforcement of the compliance team in the North yielded results that have made smuggling unattractive.

    He said smugglers were now aware they could be jailed, besides losing money.

    Jalo added: “Since the establishment of the Compliance Team, the Northern axis has been on the offensive against smugglers.

    “Our achievements justify management’s decision to set up this team, intended to block leakages and intensify enforcement operations.”

    But he vowed that the NCS would crush smuggling, and asked Nigerians to provide information to assist it to win the war against smuggling.

    The seized items, according to Jalo are: 3,923* 25 litres jerry cans of vegetable oil, 1,649*50kg bags of foreign rice, 2,632 bales of second hand cloths and 4,073 cartons of spaghetti .

    Also seized are 17,580 cartons of foreign soap ( GIV), 451 Used types, 451 cartons of assorted drugs and 15 cars, 46 buses, and 21 trucks.

    The document reads: “In the period under review, the Headquarters Compliance Team, Northern axis, recorded 203 assorted seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N537,333,128.00.”

  • Customs makes 336 seizures valued at N108m

    Customs makes 336 seizures valued at N108m

    Nigeria Customs Service( NCS) Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, has reportedly “recorded a total of 336 different seizures of assorted, offending goods/items valued at N107,513,308.00 with a payable duty of N42,937,110.00, with a duty paid value of N150,450,418.00 between 13th July and 9th August, 2014.”

    The Acting Comptroller of the Unit, Turaki, U.A,  who gave this hint last week during his inaugural address, intended to show case some of his achievements since assumption of office on July 15, further revealed that, “Under the same period, we apprehended a total of 19 (nineteen) suspects in connection with these seizures. Comparatively speaking, this report shows over 65% positive difference when compared with the report of corresponding period in 2013.”

    In a similar report bordering on revenue from intervention for the period between January and August 14, he revealed that “revenue from intervention from ports and borders stations stood at N89,337,981.00 which as at 14th August accounts for N28,128,514.00, being 6,195% comparative analysis increased from that of August 2013.”

    He listed the seized goods to include: foreign parboiled rice, foreign frozen poultry products, vehicles, textile materials (used and new), wine, various soaps, used shoes, tomatoes, spaghetti and mosquitoes insecticide.

  • Customs makes 1,608 seizures worth over N600m in six months

    The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a total of 1,608 seizures comprising assorted, prohibited goods from January till date.

    Making this disclosure was the outgoing Comptroller of the Unit, Comptroller Nuhu Isa Mamoud.

    Mamoud, who was lately re-deployed to Customs headquarters, while giving the mid-year report of the Unit, recalled that “the seizures were valued at N612,513,600.00 with a payable duty of N323,823,327.00 and a duty paid value of N936,336,927.00”, adding: “This figure represents over 50% positive differences when compared with the report of corresponding period of 2013.”

    He listed seized illicit items included: rice imported through unapproved routes, foreign frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, used tyres, fridges, compressors, used vehicles, spaghetti/noodles and a host of other general goods.

    Further commenting on the operations of Customs thus far, the Customs boss said: “The present regime of the Nigeria Customs ensured full automation of Customs procedures, noting that the direct effect is the Assycuda ++ (Automated System for Customs Data) which enables all Customs Commands to assess information online. This is targeted at trade facilitation. It is therefore instructive to state that the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ has keyed into the full automation with a robust Assycuda section in the Unit, which enables compliance in line with the CGC’s directives.”