The Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A ‘of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Aliyu Muhammad, has chided some Customs Area Controllers (CACs) for allegedly creating multiple examination groups at the ports.
Aliyu who said this last week in Lagos, also charged the Customs Area Controllers to insist that terminal operators provide the needed equipment for proper cargo evacuation and examination at the ports, instead of creating multiple examinations groups.
He maintained that multiplicity of officers at the cargo examination bays will encourage extortion of innocent importers and clearing agents, even as he queried the rationale for having different groups at the examination bay.
Muhammad also challenged officers and freight forwarders to tell themselves the truth devoid of sentiments.
“We are here to rub minds, let tell ourselves the truth, if they mention AC group, DC group and other groups and they are all custom officers, what is the meaning of that? Why should Controller allow AC, DC and others to have different groups?”
“I see no reason why DC, AC will have groups what are you talking about, which examination are you talking about, instead of the Controller to fight with the terminal operators to bring equipment that can lift containers, they are having multiple examination. When you are talking of multiplication of officers at the ports, they will start extorting people, let’s tell ourselves the truth”, he said.
The FOU Zone ‘A’ boss said that no container in the nation’s seaport goes for 100% examination as there are inadequate facilities to do that.
“Some of you don’t care about what is in the container what they are after is to clear it, no container here goes for 100% examination because, all the ports here do not have the facility to do 100%physical examination. The scanners are not good, so gentlemen when you see our men on the road just obey and respect them. Stop harassing innocent people who pay their duty on the road”, he added.
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