The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Alli has redeployed one of the prominent customs anti-smuggling czar; Comptroller Victor Dimka to the Seme Border Command of the service. This is contrary to earlier speculative media reports that he had been posted to the Customs headquarters in Abuja.
The wave of transfers and shake-up that recently swept through the Nigeria Customs Service equally saw Area Controllers of some major commands like PTML Command, Tin Can and Lillypond commands resuming at their new duty post yesterday.
In a chat with Shipping Position Daily yesterday, Public Relations Officer of the Seme Border Command; Mr. Taupen S.K confirmed that Compt Dimka has already handed over at his former position as Controller of Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ and he is being expected at Seme.
“He has already handed over on Monday and he is already on his way here” he told our correspondent.
Also, Mr. Steve Okonma, image maker for PTML Command told our correspondent that the Command’s new area controller; Mrs Olubiyi R.O has taken over from Compt Isa Tallatu. Olubiyi handed over to Dalhatu M.A at Lillypond Command.
At Tin Can Port command, Compt Bashir Yussuf has taken over from Zakari Jibrin who is now at Customs headquarters in Abuja. We had also reported on Tuesday that Compt Willy Egbudin has taken over as Controller of Apapa Command.
Meanwhile, the Tin Can Island Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has appealed to the new Controller of Customs at Tin Can Port, Mr. Bashir Yussuf to tackle the challenges of arbitrary charges that customs agents are having with concessionaire; Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) as well as shipping companies.
Vice Chairman of the chapter; Mrs Ada Akpunonu at the end of a courtesy visit to Bashir yesterday told our correspondent that ANLCA is confident that the new customs boss will put an end to the problem once and for all.
Akpunonu described the new customs helmsman as an expert who was sent to the command from the Customs ICT unit at headquarters in Abuja, saying that clearing agents will benefit a lot from him.
According to her, “for the past two years we have not been having any issue with customs, even Tin Can has always been known for being a corrupt command, that was before they brought (Comptroller) Jibrin, he came and sanitized the place”
“Ever since, the command has been on top and we are fortunate again to have a known person like Bashir, he is a no-nonsense person that will build on what he met in Tin Can today, he is an officer that does not compromise, he is an officer of IT and we are blessed too to have him”
“He has always encouraged us right from when he was in Abuja; he has zero tolerance for corruption”
“The challenges with the terminal operators and shipping companies are the only challenges we have, but we want him to settle down first, we trust him. We are excited that we are going to learn” she said.
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