Even as the contract of the Federal Government with destination inspection service providers ends in December 2012, indications have emerged that the Nigeria Customs Service lacks the expertise and the discipline to maintain and operate the scanning machines even as stakeholders have berated the Federal Government for keeping silent on the contract with service providers.
Even as the contract of the Federal Government with destination inspection service providers ends in December 2012, indications have emerged that the Nigeria Customs Service lacks the expertise and the discipline to maintain and operate the scanning machines even as stakeholders have berated the Federal Government for keeping silent on the contract with service providers.
This came to the fore in Lagos yesterday at a seminar on the destination inspection scheme organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) with the theme: Destination Inspection: "Which Way After December 2012"
Flagging-off what was to become a ‘vote of no confidence’ on the ability of the Nigeria Customs Service to handle destination inspection, Chairman of the seminar session and chairman, Port Consultative Council (PCC); Otunba Kunle Folarin expressed disappointment at the Federal Government for keeping mum over the scheme even with less than 45 days to the expiration of the contract of the three service providers and the expected take-over of the scheme by the Nigeria Customs.
Folarin pointed out that the manpower capacity and expertise to manage the scheme is still absent on the part of the Customs even as he observed that the challenges that led to the Destination Inspection scheme is still present.
Also speaking at the forum, the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Scansystems Limited, Mr Fred Udechukwu disclosed in his presentation that the customs officers who had been trained to take over from the service providers are not fully equipped to operate the scanners.
Udechukwu, who was represented by the company's Operations Manager, Mr. Ogbogu Kenneth warned that the scanners "require a lot of expertise and discipline; this has serious health implications as uncontrolled X ray dosages can be emitted into the atmosphere".
"There is a serious skill gap in the Nigeria Custom Service, they did not show sufficient interest in the DI scheme and training, also, the Form M' which is a major transaction document is not yet in electronic form", he pointed out.
Apart from these, the Global Scan boss pointed out that there is gross under utilisation of all the scanners in the country and that there is a general reluctance to use them. According to him, the machines are working below 5 per cent of their actual capacity.
Also speaking at the event, former president of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA); Alhaji Inua Mohammed expressed fears in handing over the DI process to the customs.
He called for the extension of the contract by the government because according to him, the customs has a lot on their hands and they are not fully ready for the scheme.
He advised that the government and the Customs should go into an agreement that will ensure that the Customs are in charge of the process, but it will be operated by the DI agents.
On his part, Secretary General of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr Increase Uche called for the probe of the destination inspection companies because according to him, they have not really delivered on their contract since it started.
Apart from this, the non-readiness of the customs to take over the scheme was further confirmed by the absence of its key officers at the meeting.
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