Festus Ukwu (Director of Publicity, NCMDLCA)
Festus Ukwu (Director of Publicity, NCMDLCA)
Customs has done everything possible to make sure they perfect plans to handle the destination inspection duties at the port, this extension took everyone of us by surprise, this has shown the attitude of some of our leaders who bought into the port concession, it means they still want to continue ripping us off and making the port more expensive. I know there are charges attached to the destination inspection duties, if customs is doing destination inspection very well, those charges will be off and the cost of clearing will reduce, but they still want to be ripping us off, there is no way I can support extension when I know Customs are capable of doing the work.
Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila (ASECO Chairman, ANLCA)
I am not in support, because a lot of money has been invested into the Nigeria Customs Service by the Federal Government on the doorstep of the posture,7% of all duties that was collected annually is meant for their capacity building, and customs is telling us they have come of age and as such, we need to put them on the spot so that they can practice what the Nigerian government thought they should be able to do. When you give people the opportunity to rip-off Nigerians, the Risk Assessment Reports which is the primary function of the Destination Inspection company is just an advisory paper, I am in support of NCS taking over, apart from this, using the custom will help reduce unemployment. I was told NCS has trained up to 7000 Nigerian graduates to take charge of this programme and suddenly the programme has been suspended. For the past seven years that COTECNA, SGS and Globalscan have been in service, they employed less than 500 Nigerians and right now Customs is producing 7000 people well trained for this position.
Olorogun Andrew Ibatemha (PTML chapter, ANLCA)
I am against it, it is not the right thing to be done because there are customs officers who are well trained on ground and who can physically carry out the duties, it is a waste of revenue, we have agents here who are trained for that same job and who are equipped for the same job and you are paying somebody outside to do it, and they are not even doing it right, nothing compels these foreigners about Nigeria, if it is toxic waste that is imported to Nigeria, and Nigerians perish due to toxic, nothing compels them, we don't need them because they are not doing any job.
Lucky Amiwero (MD, Eyis Resources, Limited)
I am in support of the extension because many things have to be put in place which have not been put in place, the transition time table has to be put in place and there are components that are there that must be reflected, the issue of auditing has to be looked into with the transfer of equipment and so many other things.
Ike Mbuba (NAGAFF member, PTML)
The extension took us by surprise because we have already supported that the NCS should take charge of this responsibility, only to find out that there is a contradiction to their plan, why do they have to tell us that the Nigeria Customs will be taking over by December, it shows they are not fully ready to be handed over to because we were already planning on the paper that was written to us that by December another policy will surface, only for us to find out that there is an extension. I won’t say I am in support of it or against it, however, I will say that whatever policies made by the government, the end-results should also be looked into as well.
Tunji Obagbo (Director of Finance, POTEMAN)
From onset, when they said they wanted to transfer from the service providers to the Customs, I did not support the idea; the reason is simple, how could somebody that will examine a consignment still be the one to prepare document ahead of the consignment, that means we are giving the full business into their hands which is a total risk. Allowing Customs to be preparing RAR is a wrong idea, another body entirely is supposed to be in charge , since it is the Customs that will be examining or releasing the consignments so they don’t have business in such a thing.
Chief Chukwu Osita (National Chairman, SNFFIEC)
I am not in support of it, if the freight forwarders and clearing agents say they are no more comfortable with the system on ground, you ought to remove that system. I am of the view that the Federal Government should return back to the original physical examination instead of going for this scanning and paying heavy money to COTECNA and SGS and Globalscan without doing anything. To me, you are robbing the citizenry to pay the foreigners, if actually federal government knows what they are supposed to do at a given time; they should quit now and put Customs to test. If they don’t want anything to occur in the future, they should employ a particular Cotecna or SGS staff, those that you know are the ones doing the actual job and employ them as Customs staff; otherwise known as servicing staff.
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