President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Abuja tasked the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Ibrahim and the three service chiefs on rising incidences of crude oil theft as well as national security.
The president set the task when he decorated the CDS, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Dele Ezeoba and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, with their new ranks.
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Abuja tasked the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Ibrahim and the three service chiefs on rising incidences of crude oil theft as well as national security.
The president set the task when he decorated the CDS, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Dele Ezeoba and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, with their new ranks.
Specifically tasking the new navy chief; the President said: “I will like to use this forum to specially charge you to rise to the remaining security challenges confronting our nation today, most specifically the Chief of Naval Staff along with his officers and men have onerous responsibility of scaling security in our territorial waters.
“The unacceptable rising incidences of crude oil theft must be tackled frontally.
“Given the direct adverse implication of the activities of crude oil thieves on our national economy, I expect the chief of naval staff and the other service chiefs to immediately go to work to urgently bring the issue of crude oil theft to an end.’’
President Jonathan also noted that the appointment of the new officers was based on the attributes of “patriotism, professionalism, excellence, loyalty, dedication, courage and unwavering faith in Nigeria’’.
He said the service chiefs were taking up the command of the armed forces at a critical time when the nation faced security challenges.
He expressed optimism that given their experiences and by working in synergy with other security services, the service chiefs would overcome.
He charged them to bring fresh impetus in the renewed security architecture to combat the menace of terrorism across the country in all its ramifications.
“The safety of lives and property in all parts of the country is a sacred obligation of this administration and we will do everything in our powers to live up to it.
“We cannot allow threat to our national security to compromise our national transformation efforts,’’ he said.
Apapa Customs Collects N19.66Billion in August 3
The Apapa Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service on Friday said it generated N19.66 billion revenue in September, down from N23.42 billion recorded in August.
A statement issued in Lagos by Mr Emmanuel Ekpa, the spokesman of the Command, said that the amount generated in September was low due to lower imports.
The statement said that the Federation revenue was N10.89 billion, while the Non-Federation revenue was N7.92 billion.
It explained that the Federation revenue comprised import duty of N9.09 billion, fees and others N4.24 million, while the Common External Tariffs fetched N1.79 billion.
The statement said that Non-Federation revenue consisted of five per cent Value Added Tax of N4.15 billion, seven per cent Port Levy of N696.2 million, one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme of N1.22 billion.
Other components of the Non-Federation revenue are the 0.5 per cent ECOWAS Trade Liberation Scheme of N666.4 million, five per cent Sugar Levy of N1, 513, 20 per cent, Rice Levy of N1.19 billion and Iron Levy of N458, 553.
It said that the sum of N853.74 million was realised from Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate issued to exporters.
Ekpa said that the problem in some parts of the north caused the decline in importation of goods into the country.
“You are aware that our revenue depends on the rate of imports.
“The importers cannot move their goods to the North because of the disturbances there.
“They have not yet been able to move the goods they imported,’’ Ekpa said.
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