[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Comptroller Mohammed Uba’s led administration of Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos having intensified its anti-smuggling operations intercepted various contraband with a duty paid value (DPV) of Four Billion, Four Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Eight Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty One Naira, Fifty Two Kobo only (N4,004,258,331.52) between January to December 2017.
Similarly, the unit through its interventions recovered one Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty Six Million, Twenty Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty One Naira, Sixty Five Kobo only (N1,956,022,531.65) from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to beat the system from seaports, airport, and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the federal government of Nigeria, making a cumulative of Five Billion, Nine Hundred and Sixty Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty Three Naira only (N5,960,280,863.00) in the year 2017.
More so, some spectacular seizures were made during the period under review including arrest of 179 suspects in connection to the 1,046 different seizures comprising foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, arms, fake pharmaceutical/medicament and various general merchandise.
Comptoller Uba Garba said despite the challenges in 2017, the command recorded the highest seizures and revenue so far in the history of Federal Operations, Ikeja. He attributed this feat to the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire management team of the Nigeria Customs Service for their efforts in recognizing hard work and putting square pegs in square holes. Without the management motivation and necessary logistic support, we won’t have achieved this feat within this period, he added.
Additionally, Comptroller Uba while commending the commitment and diligence of the officers and men of the FOU, Zone ‘A’ for thwarting the antics of some dare devil smugglers who used different methods to deceive the service, further charged his officers to be professional and diligent in performing their statutory responsibilities in the year 2018; most especially in the area of anti-smuggling operations by making sure all revenue linkages are blocked.
Finally, the CAC enjoined all hands to be on deck in the fight against these economic saboteurs who mean no good for the economy. He added that smuggling is a global phenomenon, which cannot be curbed entirely but can be brought to barest minimum. He appreciated all security and sister agencies that rendered logistic support and cooperation towards winning the war against smuggling within the Southwest zone. He further warned all would be smugglers and their accomplices to desist from such illegality and invest their money in legitimate business, as the unit has devised other operational modalities that give them a run for their money and count their losses, if not jailed. For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government policy banning the important of vehicle and Rice through the land borders is still in force and we are ever ready and equipped to enforce these policies to the later.
Comptroller Mohammed Uba while thanking members of the forth estate of the estate of the realm for their support/reportage in 2017, called for their continuous partnership with Nigeria Customs Service in the advocacy campaign against the evil of smuggling to the nation’s economy and provides necessary intelligence that could also assist the NCS do their job better in 2018 and beyond.

By: Grassroots Publishers

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omptroller Bashar Yusuf, Controller, Tincan Island Customs Command has yet again broken the jinx by recording a revenue generation of N287bn in 2017. This is as a result of the Command’s unrelented efforts towards capacity building, training and re-training to extract reasonable level of professional integrity from the officers which ultimately led to the increase in revenue collection.

The Tincan Island Port Command is an integral part of the Nigeria Customs Service, saddled and entrusted with the responsibilities of collecting revenue/accounting for same, facilitation of legitimate trade in line with the extant guidelines and Implementation of Fiscal Policies of the Federal Government in terms of trade. The Command is also involved in internal security of the port axis in ensuring that the Port does not serve as a dumping ground for uncustom goods.
In line with it’s statutory mandate of Revenue Collection, the Command made a clear distinction between Revenue Collection and Generation, which was why a greater emphasis was placed on the later as veritable mechanism for achieving the former. During the period under review, several documented infractions were noticed in the course of cargo profiling/selectivity, which necessitated review of such documentations. This process eventually led to the recovery of Revenue which could have been lost as a result of deliberate non- compliance. Generally speaking, the Command had a revenue target of three hundred and ten billion, two hundred and forty-seven million, three hundred and forty-six thousand, nine hundred and ninety naira, eighty-five kobo (N310,247,346,990.85) with a total collection/generation of two hundred and eighty-seven billion, six hundred and thirty-two million, nine hundred and twelve thousand, six hundred and sixty seven naira, forty nine kobo (N287,632,912,667,49) and a difference of twenty-two billion, six hundred and fourteen million, four hundred and thirty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-three naira, thirty six kobo (N22,614,434,323.36) which translates to 92.71%.

Sequel to the re-positioning of the command, the Customs Area Controller Instituted several reforms in the entire administrative and operational value chain which resulted in remarkable seizures. Part of the strategy was on the issue of due diligence and professionalism in documentations and examination of cargo. It was therefore on the basis of the foregoing that the command recorded a total of 2010 (two thousand and ten) Pump Action Riffles during the period under reference. The commitment and doggedness of the officers and men of the command was not underrated, as the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) was at the Command on three occasions with some members of his management for special promotions of some officers consequent upon the seizures. The officers are as follows; 42988 A/C  S. CHIROMA, 50201 ASC I  E. E. AMAKU, 49271 ASC I  B. T. AWUA, 55267 ASC I  B. BABAGANA, 46648 CA/I  M. LAWAL.

In terms of special projects,the Command led by the Customs Area Controller embarked on a construction of an ICT Training Centre, with a thirty (30) workstations fully connected, to serve the training needs of officers and men as well as other critical Stakeholders. The training facility has been used to train over nine hundred and fifty-eight (958) officers and stakeholders in areas relevant to their operations. In the same vein, a State of the Art clinic was constructed to take care of the medical needs of both officers and other public. The clinic is fully equipped with male and female wards with a mini pharmacy. These facilities were eventually commissioned by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), who eulogized the Customs Area Controller on demonstrating exceptional leadership quality. These feats were achievable as a result of the cordial relationship the command had with other key agencies of government operating both within and outside the port.

The role of compliant traders who have consistently remained dependable allies through adherence to due diligence cannot be undermined as they also contributed to this success. In the same vein, other sister agencies and other players in the Maritime Industry have demonstrated tenacity of the purpose in subjecting to the change ideology of the Comptroller General to the extent that there was seamless synergy and collaboration.
However, there are still pockets of issues, particularly with regards to non-compliance by some of the traders but with commitment and hardwork, the command will continue to record enormous revenue generation in future.

By: Grassroots Publishers

—Achieves 6 hours Clearance of Goods From The Terminal

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omptroller Aremu Modupeola Adeyanju, the present Controller in charge of PTML Customs Command, Lagos fits into the mold where scholars conclude that great men and women achieve success through hardwork and resilience. She remains the luckiest in terms of favourable circumstances. She is one of the few officers that have served round trip the most successful commands in Nigeria. Comptroller Aremu is not disposed to unnecessary talks and frivolities; a no nonsense woman who had all through her leadership role in the service proved herself to be a leader that matches words with actions.

Since she was redeployed as the Customs Area Controller of PTML Customs Command, she has magically turned around the operations of the command revenue-wise with unprecedented revenue generated since she took over. She has hitherto raised the performance bar of the unit to an exampled level in the history of the command. This is due to the fact that the refined officer is adjudged according to industry watchers to be a revenue oriented officer as well as her encomiums emanated from commands with performance based on revenue. Many senior customs officers hailed the Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) led management’s decision of redeploying Compt. Aremu to the PTML Customs Command to pilot the affairs of the unit knowing fully well she is a great performer and a goal getter; bearing in mind that the command is one of the nerve centres of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Port Terminal Multi-service Limited (PTML) Customs Command, Tin-Can Island, Lagos under the able leadership of Comptroller Aremu Modupeola Adeyanju has recorded a ground breaking revenue of N98, 825,815,515.00 for the year ending 2017. This figure is 57.4 percent above the N62, 803,382,901.00 generated same period in 2016. While the revenue has been on a steady increase since May 19, 2017 when Comptroller Aremu assumed duty as the Controller of the modern Port in Lagos, consignments are now cleared within 2(six) hours for vehicles and 24(twenty four) hours for containers as long as proper documentation is entered. Also the monthly revenue target of N6.3billion was surpassed as the motivated officers and men of the Command collected a total of N6, 785,957,160.00 in May 2017, away from the N4, 792,815,338.00 generated same month in 2016. In June 2017, a total of N7, 166,614,468.00 was generated. Penning down a 40.2 percent above the 2016 collection. In July, August and September, the command also recorded a revenue of N8, 647,338,084.00; N10, 160,236,421.00 and N8, 083,817,344.00 respectively away from the N4, 926,210,982.00; N6, 284,141,204.00 and N5, 712,285,207.00 collected same period in 2016.The months of October, November and December, 2017 had the RoRo Terminal collecting highest revenue ever in the history of the PTML Customs Command as while a total of N10, 611,911,845.00 was collected in October, N10, 255,676,360.00 and N10, 825,815,515.00(highest ever), were posted. This is against the N6, 320,064,888.00; N6, 095,409,618.00 and N5, 987,503,305.00 generated same period last year.

The Customs Area Controller of PTML Command showered praises on officers and men of the Command who according to her, in spite of the challenges of bad road, lack of transportation they meet while coming to work, they never gave up! Most of them have to trek to the office, yet, they are giving their best. I must commend them, she said. Comptroller Aremu was also full of praises for the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) led by the Comptroller General, Colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd), who in spite of challenges put round pegs in round holes in the Service and has brought back Sanity and decorum which have led to huge success recorded within the year under review. This kind of achievement will indeed ginger the Officers and men of the Command to redouble their efforts towards achieving the Service core mandates and responsibilities.

By: Grassroots Publishers