Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Police Force have stressed on the need to work together to ensure peace, security as well as revenue collection in port operations.
The two institutions further stressed the need for information gathering and sharing as ways of achieving common goals of sanitising the seaports.
This was the crux of interaction yesterday, when the Commissioner of Police in Charge of Western Ports; Mr. Shaba Alkali paid a working visit to the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service,; Comptroller Willy Egbudin in Lagos.
The Commissioner of Police, stressed the need for both agencies of government to work together in order to achieve seamless port operations in the area of security and revenue collection.
He added that the country and the maritime industry can only succeed when agencies of government collaborate.
Alkali maintained that the visit was to seek Customs support on information gathering and sharing, pointing out that customs operations at the ports is key to economic growth and sustainability.
"The only way we can succeed in this industry is to see ourselves as brothers ",he added.
Also speaking, Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa Command; Comptroller Willy Egbudin said that both agencies have always been collaborating.
Egbudin acknowledged that no individual institution can stand alone to address issues affecting port operations.
He noted that despite the separate functions by both agencies, Police and Customs will continue to synergise to ensure that peace and revenue collection are achieved at the ports.
Egbudin added that "we are working for the same government and we are like brothers from the same parent and the purpose is for us to co-exist , despite the fact that our functions are interwoven.”
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