Festus Ukwu (NCMDLCA)
If the container was supposed to be examined by Customs, then there are statutory officers that are to release such consignments, then such officers have certified that the goods are fit to exit the ports and they append their signature for release, then they should be held culpable. There is no two-way about it. If the scanners are not functioning there is need for the consignment to be subjected to physical examination, therefore the people connected to the release should be held for more information to come out on how the import was made possible and the people behind it.
Dr. Arthur Igwilo (Sec Gen NAGAFF)
Every one of us (the stakeholders) must be held responsible as regards the arms seizure, especially the examination officers. The profiling in customs through PAAR has various ways to examine containers, one through fast track, scanning and through physical examination and it’s a known fact that most of the scanners are not functioning at the ports and the popular one is physical examination. It is essentially to ensure that thorough examination is done on consignment and I do know that so many containers are thoroughly examined at the terminals but notwithstanding there are still some people who capitalize on the poor system, considering the fact that we are not operating in a perfect system. Therefore, we cannot attribute blame to just one person or organization. Although the lead agency at the port is the Nigeria Customs Service but they are not the only one that participates in physical examination because there is a form that must be signed by other agencies in the process, therefore I could not pin it down to a particular person or group because of the failed system.
Mr. Hyginus Nnukwe (NCMDCLA)
Everybody in the supply chain must be held responsible. There is no way we can all point accusing fingers at the customs alone because the shipping companies must be queried , the exporter must have one or two answers to tell the world and even the freight forwarder involved in the process, therefore I don’t think it is the customs officers alone that should be crucified.
Eniola Odulaja (Stakeholder)
Every government agency at the port has one blame or the other because it is a collective responsibility by all of them. Even the shipping company has its own blame in this context. It is very important to note that the issue of arms seized by customs is not what the government should handle with kid’s gloves. Overtime, failure of the scanners is affecting trade facilitation therefore examination of goods is the order of the day. To a large extent the bulk of blame should stop at the door step of customs management for failing to put facilities in place for officers to work in an enabling environment.
Frank Ukor (President, AREFFN)
From my experience, the scanner that has not been functional is to be blamed mostly, the people that are supposed to make the scanners functional also has a lot of the blames to carry, when you go for physical examinations, there are bound to be human errors and this was exactly what happened, no sane customs officer would see arms in that container and still put his or her signature to release it. I am sure that those who released the container did not see the content. Also, the Assistant Controller that released the container probably did not go for the examination, she released it based on information from those she sent for the examination, and those who carried out the examination probably did not do an in-depth examination, normally it is supposed to be 100 per cent examination but normally, how many of them conduct 100 per cent examination? So the owner of that container probably hid it inside and put steel doors to occupy about 80 per cent of the container. My advice to the customs boss is to see it as a human error because nobody would see such a thing and still go ahead to release it.
James Agim (Freight Forwarder)
Security officers work based on information, I am sure somebody within the customs has information about the container, so why didn’t they share it with the customs command? It looks to me as if there is a rivalry between the two areas; the Apapa command or the FOU, one of them heard about it and did not tell the other, if there was cooperation, they could have alerted them, but they did not do so until the container left the port. So for me, I would blame it on the fact that there is no love or cooperation amongst customs officers
Frank Aliakor (Clearing Agent, ANLCA)
We cannot blame the customs, the agents or the security forces, the country of origin of these arms supposed to be aware that Nigeria is passing through problems with regards to its security. So for them to have allowed such a cargo to come to Nigeria, they have not done well, they have aided the concealment over there, most of the cargoes shipped here are examined over there, they do almost 80 per cent examination. The customs agent was not there when the container was being packed, it was based on the Bill of Laden which is ‘said to contain’ that he is given, this is the same document that the customs is working with, we didn’t have the equipment to carry out 100 per cent examination, our scanning machines do not work at optimal capacity, this is because, when the service providers left, the customs could not manage the scanners.
Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick (Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders)
The container did not follow the proper procedure, I would exonerate the customs officers apart from those who aided and abetted, but the real officers at the command were not aware of the consignment, the container was not properly cleared, from the documents, it was not among the containers meant for exit and I know that duty was not paid on it, if duty had been paid, the container would have been monitored. However, in every 12, there must be a Judas; those who cleared such containers have their ways. I was the first person that raised the alarm that containers were leaving the port without examination. Apart from this, the scanner sat the port are not working, so you cannot rule out the possibility of such an incident occurring, the federal government has shied away from their responsibility by not providing the scanners.
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