In its continous efforts at promoting trade facilitation, ease of doing business and prevention of revenue leakages , the Apapa Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service said it has recorded a whooping some of One trillion, twenty-three billion, six hundred and sixty-three million, eight hundred and forty-two thousand, two hundredand fiftyfive-naira, sixty-three kobo (N1,023,663,842,255.63) revenue for the first half of year 2024.
This is coming despite the sharp reduction in the volume of importation trade.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday at the Command in Lagos , the Area Controller in charge of the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu disclosed that since his assumption as Area Controller of the Command, the thrust of his leadership has been intelligence gathering for enhanced revenue collection backed with deliberately improved customs-community relations.
Comptroller Babatunde Olomu disclosed that upon his taking over at the Command, he set up a revenue recovery committee comprising of seasoned and dedicated officers with a mandate to carry out more detailed look into areas of leakages, especially in bonded terminals under the Cimmand.
Speaking on trade facilitation, he said that the Command is applying a blend of intelligence with community relations for better awareness of it’s operating environment to achieve greater trade facilitation and fight criminality.
According to him “I have a team of dedicated officers charged with the responsibility of addressing all complaints or disputes within record time before escalation to my office for prompt action.
“I don’t run an open-door policy because for me, there is literally no door at all if you want to access my office. My office is open for everyone to discuss anything that will facilitate legitimate trade and promote government interest at all times, including receiving information on suspected smuggling activities” he said.
On the Command Anti-smuggling drive, he hinted that within the period under review, the command made seizures of eleven (11) containers comprising of prohibited items such as expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals, footwears, used clothing, armored cables, frozen poultry products among others.
He added that the Duty Paid Value of the seizures amounted to Four hundred and twenty-four million, one hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five naira (N424,105,975.00) as against 42 seizures with a DPV of N1.4 billion made in the corresponding period in 2023.
He disclosed that barely a week ago, the Command uncovered a large quantity of expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals in 3x40ft container numbers TCKU 6928184, MRKU 4422733, MRSU 5550243, and another 3x40ft container nos. MNBU 3934925, MEDU 9107559 and MEDU 9752980 loaded with seven thousand five hundred and eighty (7,580) cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption, which is against schedule 3 of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff (CET), violating section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Sounding a note of warning to the evil perpetrators and economy sabouteurs , Olomu said “Let me state that the harmful effects of fake and unregistered pharmaceutical products on citizens are unquantiflable and as a responsible service, we owe Nigerians the duty of preventing them from being exposed to this dangerous importation.
‘In light of the above, I want to use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to perpetrators of smuggling, duty evasion and other forms of criminality frowned upon by the Nigerla Customs Service Act 2023 and other extant laws, that Apapa command Is poised to nip illicit importation In the bud.
“Consequently, in line with the CGC zero tolerance for smuggling, I have reformed the command way of treating transires by ensuring more meticulous management of cargoes moving from the mother port to bonded terminals.
“This has become necessary to prevent a situation where smugglers attempt to perpetuate illegalities In bonded terminals.
“To sustain this tempo, no cargo is allowed to exit from our control without thorough inspection using the scanner. We shall not compromise on this as we will keep making seizures, detention and arrests where necessary to protect the national economy and prevent Nigerians from exposure to dangerous or unwholesome products like illicit drugs” the CAC quipped.
Disclosing it’s inter agency relationship, Olomu said the Command is in close touch with sister government agencies, working like a team with shared responsibilities.
He commend the Nigeria Police, Department of State Service (DSS), NDLEA, NAFDAC, SON, NIS, NAQS, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and others for their support so far. “We made progress together and will continue to collaborate in the national interest”.
While appreciating the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR dsm psc (+) and the entire Management team for providing the Command with the needed support and leadership in discharging their responsibilities, he thanked officers and men of the command for their resilience, stakeholders for their support with the hope to continually work together to achieve a better second half for 2024.
