The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Customs to liaise with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to workout modalities to curb the activities of smugglers.
The committee is expected to report back to the house within four weeks.
The motion, moved by Rep. Odebunmi Dokun, was adopted when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.
The motion was entitled: “Need for proactive measures by the Nigerian Customs Service to check the activities of Economic Saboteurs in the country’’.
The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Customs to liaise with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to workout modalities to curb the activities of smugglers.
The committee is expected to report back to the house within four weeks.
The motion, moved by Rep. Odebunmi Dokun, was adopted when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Emeka Ihedioha.
The motion was entitled: “Need for proactive measures by the Nigerian Customs Service to check the activities of Economic Saboteurs in the country’’.
Leading the debate on the motion, Dokun said the transformation agenda of the Federal Government included the optimisation of production level of local industries.
“The transformation agenda includes the optimisation of the production level of local industries by prohibiting the importation of certain categories of products that compete with those of local industries producing similar products," he said.
Dokun said the Customs had a major role to play in the enforcement of the policy.
He expressed concern that the nation’s borders were so porous that palm oil and other consumables were being easily smuggled into the country.
The legislator noted that the porous nature of the borders had affected the marketability of locally-produced palm oil and other consumables.
“The rate at which rice and other food items are being smuggled into the country through our borders is so high that Nigeria has lost much revenue," he said.
Dokun said the NCS was not doing much to curb the activities of smugglers and the sale of prohibited goods within the country.
In their contributions, Rep. Fort Dike and Rep. Friday Itulah, said the motion was timely and expressed concern that the NCS had not done much to curtail the activities of smugglers.
Most of the legislators, who contributed to the debate, spoke in favour of the motion.
The Deputy Speaker, who presided over plenary referred the motion to the committee for further action
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