The Nigeria Customs Service has said that Nigerian borders are porous and that the service is in need of more officers to mount the various entry points around the Seme and Idiroko border posts to effectively implement Federal Government's ban on rice and vehicles through land borders.
Speaking during his maiden tour of Idiroko and Seme border commands yesterday, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Zone ‘A’; Mr Monday Abueh equally hinted that the customs would reintroduce more checkpoints along the ever-busy international expressway.
He said that the vehicle seats at the Seme and Idiroko borders have been dismantled and the officers have been redeployed to cover notorious smuggling flash points.
Abueh told the officers that the reason for his visit was to charge them to ensure that not a grain of rice or vehicle is allowed into the country through the land borders.
He urged officers to handle their duties with due diligence so as not to run foul of the law. Citing example of the 661 pump action riffles seized in Lagos, he warned that officer that appends his signature to illegal cargoes would go down for it.
"Since government has decided that vehicle should not come in, officers on vehicle seats have been sent to needy places, we are talking about porousity of the borders, and so we still need more men to man all the illegal entry points"
"We still have travellers passing through the roads on lesse passé and carrying passengers to Nigeria. Some of these still have to be checked"
"On the issue of road blocks, is it not better when you have porousity of the border, it is better to have appropriate checkpoints to deal with people escaping from one place to the other. In the interest of national security, some of these decisions are necessarily and timely" he said.
“Officers should be mindful of their duties and responsibilities as you embark on your primary assignment.
“If you are careless in your duties and if you are caught, you will be held responsible for your action”, he cautioned.
Customs Area Controller, Idiroko Command, Gangua Hassan also confirmed that officers are only carrying out skeletal services at the command as most of the officers have already been redeployed to man the borders.
At the Seme Border Command, ACG Abueh commended the Customs Area Controller, Mr. Victor Dimka and other officers for appearing neatly dressed and well-coordinated. He recalled that he and Dimka had served at Seme border side-by-side 20 years ago.
"I am here on familiarisation tour as the new ACG in charge of Zone ‘A’, the idea is to convey the position of the service, the policy of the government and the emphasis placed on the Comptroller General of the service, Col Hamid Ali (rtd) that the present language and action of the service right now is to ensure that rice and motor vehicle is not imported through the land borders"
"These are two key items on the menu that are very hot. When we mean rice should not come in, it means not a single grain"
"Don't allow yourself to be put into actions or signing documents that you know is not correct. If you are ask to go and do examination, make sure that whatever you see is what you sign, and stand by it. No customs job is too small, all the jobs are important, at some point you will be asked to come and give account of what you know"
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