The Nigeria Customs Service have said that it is working assiduously to ensure that the obsolete scanning machines at the Nigerian ports and border stations are replaced and working.
Acting Zonal Coordinator Zone A of Customs, Compt Charles Edike stated this in a chat with members of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos yesterday
Before his recent promotion as Acting Zonal Coordinator Zone 'A’, Edike had held sway at the Apapa Command of Customs as its controller. He officially handed over yesterday to the most senior Deputy Controller at the command; Gwani Maitizumahs.
While handing over the newly acting controller of the command, the out going controller Charles Edike urged the new controller, DC Gwani Maitizumahs to keep the command's flag flying until the Customs boss appoint a substantive area controller.
Edike said it is the Comptroller General of Customs that can appoint a substantive area controller, but added that the oldest promoted deputy controller will hold forth in acting capacity.
"I don't have the power to appoint an acting controller, I don't have the power to appoint a controller and it is the CGC that has the power to do that "
He also urged all the deputy controllers never to follow illegal advice, even as he appealed to the acting controller to work with the Assistant and Deputy Controllers as a team.
The new Acting Assistant Comptroller General of the Charles Edike also recalled that he was posted to the command in May 2013 and that he has been asked to move to the zonal headquarters of the service to act as the coordinator.
"I am to hand over the command to the most senior DC which was the instruction given to me"
He also advised the command 's officers to see themselves as potential Comptroller General, urging them further to be focus and upright in discharging their duties.
Edike appealed to the officers of the command to assist the new acting controller to achieve success in trade facilitation, adding that an importers or agents that failed to comply with trade facilitation should pay dearly for it.
The Acting ACG reiterated that any attempt by the officers to delay importers or agents documents may hamper trade facilitation pointing out that the Apapa command is mostly preferred by operators to other ports, which he also described as the hallmark of all commands in Nigeria.
Edike said as a premier port,"Apapa command is preferred to other commands because of our attitude to work"
According to him, structure put in place has made the work to go on smoothly either the controller is around urging officer to be transparent in discharging their duties.
"All that we have taught you all should be dear to heart, please ensure to be diligent and make sure that all the memos we released to you are dear to you”, he added.
Speaking with the maritime reporters after the handing over ceremony, he assured that the Customs Comptroller General, Col Ali Hameed is already in consultation with some groups in the bid to replace the obsolete scanners with modern ones.
He lamented that customs had inherited deteriorated scanning machines from the service providers and that it was difficult for customs to get the scanners working. Edike said it was only the service providers that can get the old scanners to work again because customs does not have any agreement with the manufacturers.
"The CGC is already discussing on acquiring new scanners with some people and I am sure that in a short while all of that will be sorted out"
"When the service providers were leaving, they gave us rotten scanners, they were bad, customs does not have any agreement with the manufacturers, it was the service providers that have agreement with them, and so customs was not able meet the manufacturers to come and do the servicing"
"In servicing, there is grade 1,2,3, we can do grade one and two, but the highest grade must be done by the manufacturers, but currently efforts are being made to get all the scanners in place"
"I must also let you know that the current CGC has done so much to get these scanners back to work".
Edike told the journalists that power has been restored back to the various zones of the customs, even as he reiterated that the CGC; Ali will be holding each coordinators of zones responsible for any anomaly at the commands under them.
He appealed to clearing agents and importers for supports and maximum compliance in order to avoid their cargoes being delayed at the ports.
"Incidentally the CGC has just said that everything that the zone was doing before will be done, he even said that if revenue falls in any command the zonal coordinator will be held responsible"
Addressing officers of the Apapa Command during his handing over ceremony, Edike enjoined the officers to act in a way and manner approved by the board of customs.
He warned that no officer must hold on to documents unnecessarily to seek gratification, he said that when documents are delayed, it must have genuine reasons.
He solicited supports for the new CAC, tasking the officer to continue facilitating trade.
"Nobody should hold anybody's papers unnecessarily, only if there is an official reason, otherwise you must let it go, if not, such an officer will be holding down Nigeria and when people pray in the Mosque or Church against the enemy of Nigeria, such officer will be involved"
"When there is trade it is better for the country, the economy becomes better and improved, it gives the country a solid economic base, when you deny Nigeria this, when they pray against the enemies of Nigeria you will be affected too"
"All we want to do is to encourage trade, expand trade, but we would also not sacrifice government revenue at the altar of trade facilitation, to agents and importers, please give us compliance and we will give you trade facilitation, once you are compliant and anybody aske you otherwise, let us know" he said.
He said every officer that worked with integrity could rise to the highest level of the service.
“All the turnaround that happened here was with your support. Therefore, hold dearly those things we taught you and work to facilitate trade.
“Do your assignment in the manner approved by the Board, which is the only way for you to go up further.
“This is a government of change, so, you will remain on board when you change for the better.
“You will be pushed off the board if you are discovered to be otherwise as the days of impunity are gone, ‘’ he said.
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