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Tag: Customs

  • Covid-19 relief: Customs faults rejection of 1,800 bags of rice by Oyo government

    Covid-19 relief: Customs faults rejection of 1,800 bags of rice by Oyo government

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Oyo/Osun Area Command, has declared that the Oyo State government is not being fair to the Customs service over the rejection of 1,800 bags of rice it gave to the state.

    Public Relations Officer of the command, Abdullah Lagos, made this declaration while speaking with DAILY POST Saturday evening.

    Lagos, while reacting to the rejection of 1,800 bags of rice by the Oyo State government, said that something fishy was going on.

    Recalls that the federal government of Nigeria had ordered Oyo/Osun Customs Area Command to donate some bags of rice to four states in the South West region.

    The command on Monday donated 1,800 bags of rice to Oyo state government, 1,800 bags to Osun, 1,800 bags to Ekiti and 800 bags to Ondo State.

    But, Oyo State government on Friday rejected the rice, claiming that they were not suitable for human consumption.

    However, Customs, while reacting, said that Oyo State government was not fair to the command.

    Lagos who spoke on behalf of the command, said, “We gave1,800 to Oyo, 1,800 to Osun, 800 to Ondo and 1,800 to Ekiti. We did not choose for them. Why is it that it is only Oyo State that is rejecting the rice.

    “Oyo State came, and they inspected the rice on Monday. They came to collect the rice on Tuesday; they didn’t complain. We had to wait for them. Other states came before Oyo, and we told them that since Oyo is our host, they had to get their own first. We waited for them and they chose. Nobody chose for them. How can you say that all the 1,800 bags of rice are not good?

    “It is not only Oyo State that collected the rice. Why is it that they are the only state saying that the rice is not good?

    “How can we give the public expired rice? We have a special place that we keep rice. And since Tuesday, they did not complain and on Friday, you did not call us and you called a press conference. That is too bad.

    “We suspect foul play. They came to inspect the rice on Monday. They came to collect on Tuesday. We did not choose for them, they chose.

    “Journalists were there. They are not being fair to us.”

  • This is the time to give out seized food items to poor Nigerians- RMD to customs

    This is the time to give out seized food items to poor Nigerians- RMD to customs

    Richard Mofe-Damijo, veteran actor has urged the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) to give out seized food items in its custody to help the poor amid the countrywide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    In a post shared on his social media page on Wednesday, the fashionable role interpreter said such measure has become imperative to help those worst-hit by the sit-at-home directive in the country.

    “Sitting here wondering if this wont be a good time for government to ask Customs about all the plenty seized rice, tomato, vegetable oil and all the other food items they have in their possession and give out to our people in need,” he wrote on Instagram.

     

    “Whilst thanking them for reduced fuel prices at this time (inject smiley face)and all the other efforts so far, food is a major part of this lock down.

    “I know sometimes the agencies of government don’t work as a team but please this is the time for customs to step and tell us how much relief they can bring to Nigerians. #giveoutseizedfooditems
    #customshelpus #rmdsaysso.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cSgu_Hqnl/

     

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Yemi Alade had earlier urged President Muhammadu Buhari to provide stimulus package for people he directed to stay at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

     

  • Two Customs officers die while chasing vehicle

    Two Customs officers die while chasing vehicle

    Two men of the Nigeria Customs Service attached to the Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, reportedly died in an auto crash on Sunday while pursuing a bus suspected to be carrying smuggled rice.

    Two other customs officers and the driver of the bus being chased were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury in the accident.

    The survivors were reportedly rushed to hospital for treatment.

    The incident occurred around 4.30pm at Urue Ita along Eket Oron Road in Oron LGA.

    An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our journalists on Monday that the bus the officers were pursuing was later found to be without any bag of rice.

    According to him, the Hilux vehicle conveying the customs officer, marked ‘Strike Force Team,’ hit the Sienna bus, with number plate, APP 784 FM, and somersaulted several times.

    “When I inspected the Sienna bus, no single grain of rice was in it. The bus was returning from a church in Oron,” the source added.

    The customs command in Akwa Ibom State, however, declined comments on the matter.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nnudam Fredrick, said the police in Oron had yet to brief him.

    “I have not been briefed by the police in Oron concerning the death of the two customs officers. I am not in the picture and I am not aware of the incident,” Fredrick said.

  • Customs seizes 140 smuggled gas cylinders in Katsina

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, has seized two trucks with 140 gas cylinders and 678 bags of NPK fertilisers being smuggled into the country from Niger Republic.

    Mr Mustapha Sarki-Kebbi, Zone B Controller who disclosed this to newsmen on Saturday in Katsina said that the three vehicles conveying the items were also seized.

    He said that the seizures were made a week ago along Jibia-Agangaro road in Jibia Local Government Area of the state.

    Sarki-Kebbi said that the country’s borders remained closed and any goods brought in through the borders would be apprehended.

    He said that the arrest was for security and safety reasons, adding that the cylinders were old and criminals could use them to kill people.

    The controller also said that the command arrested another truck carrying 678 bags of NPK fertilizers, which was banned from being imported into the country.

    According to him, criminals use NPK fertilizers to endanger people’s lives.

    Sarki-Kebbi added that the customs also seized 200 smuggled used tyres, 578 bags of foreign rice, 322 jerricans of vegetable oil, 90 bales of second-hand clothes and soap, among others.

    The controller said that the items had a Duty Paid Value of N185 million.

    According to him, the closure of the country’s borders would enhance local production.

  • Customs: Edo/Delta command raises N1.8b in January, targets N32b in 2020

    Customs: Edo/Delta command raises N1.8b in January, targets N32b in 2020

    The Edo/Delta Command of the Nigerian Customs Service says it has generated N1.8 billion revenue in January 2020.

    Mr Alajogun Olaniyi, the Custom Area Controller, Edo/Delta Command disclosed this to newsmen on Monday in Warri.

    Olaniyi also said the command had been saddled with the responsibility of collecting N2.7 billion monthly amounting to N32 billion target in 2020.

    “In January, we made N1.8 billion, it is always like that at the beginning of every year all over the places because businessmen are expecting what budget and government policies will look like.

    “Before now, our monthly collection used to be N1.5 billion and for the entire year, we are supposed to collect N18 billion.

    “On Tuesday, the headquarters rolled out the target for 2020 and Edo/Delta command has been saddled with the responsibility of collecting N2.7 billion every month and a yearly collection of N32 billion.

    “The target given to the Nigerian customs service for this year is almost N2 trillion hence the upward review of what every command must collect.

    “The revenue that we will be collecting will largely be based on the volume of cargoes that we are able to get considering the peculiar nature of the Warri port.

    “It is not very active, but we are hopeful that things will get better.

    “However, on our part, the best we can do is to ensure that the little cargoes that comes, we collect all the collectable revenues by putting in our best expertise and making sure no revenue that is supposed to go into government coffers goes untapped,” he said.

    The customs area controller said the command generated N22 billion in 2019 as against the target of N18 billion.

    “The command had a revenue target of N18,02 billion in 2019. The total revenue collected within the period under review is N22,181 billion.

    “Comparatively, the revenue collected for the year under review is N6.35 billion higher than that of 2018 which was N16 billion with same revenue target of N18.023 billion.

    “Reasons being that we have determined that whatever little things we have, due diligence must be done with them to make sure we collect maximum duties,” he said.

    Speaking on the border closure, Olaniyi said that though the development had led to increase in revenue generation of the customs service, but it had no direct impact on the operations of the Edo/Delta command.

    According to him, before the border closure, the command had not been getting much cargoes from larger vessels because of the shallowness of the Escravos channel.

    “So there is no way the border closure could have changed that narrative, because the obstacles which is the shallowness of the channels that are preventing the vessels from coming into Warri port is still there.

    “Edo/Delta command is essentially a revenue command and not an enforcement command, we do not have patrol team on the road.

    “The seizure we can only make can be from goods that come through the sea and because of the low level of activities in this place, we do not actually make seizures,” he said.

    Olaniyi commended the Federal Government for taking the bold step to dredge the Warri river.

    He said that the development would galvanised activities in the Warri port and by extension the command, as soon as the project was completed.

    The customs Controller also commended the leadership of the custom service for providing the necessary welfare and logistics for officers and men of the command.

    Olaniyi urged his officers and men to reciprocate the generosity by doing their job diligently to achieve the general goals and objectives of the Nigeria customs service.

  • Customs to spend N577m on boreholes, N128m on TVs

    The Senate yesterday approved N238bn budget of the Nigeria Customs Service for the 2020 fiscal year. This followed the presentation of the Service 2020’ budget report by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs, Francis Alimikhena.

    Out of the approved sum, N98bn was voted for personnel cost, N15bn for overhead, and N123bn was approved for capital. Details of the budget showed that N128m was set aside for television sets; and N30m for chairs and tables.

    Waste disposal equipment got N3.1bn; scanners, power generating sets, N927mn

    The service will also spend N577m on boreholes and other water facilities; N63 million on the purchase of refrigerators; N173.7m for safe, file cabinets, cupboards and wall clocks while N74m will be spent on photocopiers.

    Before the budget was passed, some senators had dismissed the committee report as lacking details and opposed the budget passage. They said despite getting 7% of its revenue as operational cost, the Customs still collected money from the federation account.

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan warned that the Senate would take punitive measures against agencies of government that were not up to date with their audited accounts.

    Lawan said it was a “sad commentary” that MDAs had not been submitting their audited accounts to the National Assembly, describing the act as unacceptable.

  • Customs impounds pangolin scales worth N10.26bn in Lagos

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone A, has seized 147 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 9,504.1kg worth N10.26 billion.

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Pangolin scales, like rhino horn, have no proven medicinal value, yet they are used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with ailments ranging from lactation difficulties to arthritis.

    The scales are typically dried and ground up into powder, which may be turned into a pill.

    Ali said that Nigeria, as a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), categorises this species under absolute prohibition; therefore, its importation or trade is illegal globally.

    “It is my pleasure to brief you again on the recent gains of Nigeria Customs Service anti-smuggling operations.

    “On Jan. 19, the roving team of the NCS, Federal Operations Unit, while on credible intelligence, uncovered an abandoned warehouse at Isheri Estate, Lagos, where 2x20ft containers were stacked.

    “The containers were immediately evacuated to the premises of FOU Zone A, Ikeja, where physical examination revealed 147 sacks weighing 9,504.1kg of pangolin scales worth N10,264,428,000.00,” he said.

    Ali said that the pangolin would be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.

    He said that the service also seized a total number of 3,067 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice (50kg), 3,722 of 25 litres and 1,040 of 4.73 litres of foreign vegetable oil and 14 units of exotic vehicles.

    The comptroller-general listed other items seized as: 575 pieces of used tyres, 703 cartons of foreign poultry products, 543 jerry cans of petroleum products and 416 bales of used clothing, among others.

    He said that the items had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N303,244,066.00, making a cumulative duty paid value of N10,567,672,066 within the month under review, Jan. 7 to Feb. 3.

    The NCS boss said that the seizures underscore the determination of the service to enforce all laws relating to importation and exportation of goods, thereby contributing to the economy, security and wellbeing of every Nigerian.

    He commended the Ag. Comptroller, FOU ‘A’, DC Usman Yahaya, and other members of the unit for a job well done, ”considering the fact that he took over barely a month ago.’’

    Ali appealed to all well meaning Nigerians to support the service with information that could assist in discharging its statutory responsibilities in the interest of the nation.

    “The borders are closed but not sealed and our men cannot be everywhere. These criminals go through creeks and various means to bring these items into the country.

    “If they succeed in crossing the border and into Lagos, we will still go after them, and we are not relenting in our duty to stop smuggling into the country,” he said.

  • Senate against dissenting views passes N238.15bn budget for Nigerian Customs Service

    Senate against dissenting views passes N238.15bn budget for Nigerian Customs Service

    The Senate on Tuesday at plenary passed the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) 2020 budget of N238.15 billion amidst dissenting views by some senators.

    The passing of the budget followed the presentation of a report on the budget by the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and consideration of the report.

    Some of the senators at plenary had raised concerns that the budget report presented by the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff was not detailed.

    The senators, had noted that the report presented by the Committee Chairman Chairman, Sen. Francis Alimikhena (APC -Edo) was not tidy, noting that some of the figures were not adding up.

    They also noted that the NCS like others Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have for the past six years not submitted their audited reports.

    The senators who kicked against the report, noted that Customs cannot be getting seven per cent from revenue collected, two percent from all Value Added Tax (VAT), allocation from federation account and other revenues and still be receiving allocation from the Federation Account.

    In his contribution on the report, Sen. James Manager (PDP-Delta) said: “This report is too scanty for us to look at.

    “The Committee should have taken a proper look at the report before submitting it to us. We need to look at the federation account properly.”

    Sen. Gabriel Suswam said that before the Customs budget could be passed, proper explanation should be made, so that the senate would understand why some figures are not adding up.

    Sen. Solomon Olamilekan (APC-Lagos) had earlier observed that the seven per cent allocated to Customs from revenue generated was enough to defray its expenditure.

    He, however, said NCS was still drawing funds from the federation account despite the allocation of 7 per cent.

    Sen. Matthew Urhoghide(PDP-Edo) said, : “The fact that Customs is collecting seven per cent does not mean that its budget should not be audited.”

    Sen. Ibn Na’allah, (APC -Kebbi) said: “This Senate has a duty to bring all agencies into conformity with the vision of federal government.

    “We must bring our institutions to conform with what will make the country proud. We can’t pass this kind of budget.”

    But Sen.Adamu Alerio (APC -Kebbi ) in his contribution however urged the Senate to pass the budget given the steering performance of NCS in revenue generation in 2019 and improved welfare of its personnel.

    Earlier, Sen. Alimikhena while presenting the committee’s report explained that the proposal was based on Federal Government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

    He said a total expenditure of N238.15 billion was been proposed for the 2020 .

    Highlights of the budget proposal, according to him includes, the establishment of the E-Customs Project through massive deployment of information communication technology to eliminate personal interface in customs operations.

    “The implementation of the Nigeria Customs Service Salary Structure for 15,892 officers and men of the Service; the recruitment of three thousand two hundred (3,200) officers and men and their training among others.

    In his remarks after the passage of the budget, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said:

    “We expect MDAs to present their audited accounts before the end of the year especially towards the end of December or at least the first quarter of the year.

    “If any agency refuses or fails without any congent reason, we have reason to take a drastic action when it comes to appropriation because not to account for what you have been given in the previous year, that is to say you are not prepared to take a new budget.

    “So I’m advising the MDAs, especially those that are not up to date with their audited accounts to do so.

    “We could decide as a National Assembly to take measures against agencies of government that are not up to date with their audited accounts.”

  • Missing N14.8bn: We don’t have audited accounts – Customs

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), yesterday, disclosed that it has no audited accounts because there was no approval for the engagement of external auditors from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

    The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), made the disclosure at an investigation with the House of Representatives’ public accounts committee, which is investigating audit queries raised against the NCS between 2013 and 2014 financial years by Office of Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF).

    Testifying before the committee, Ali said: “I want to tell this honourable committee that as we speak, the Service has no audited accounts because we have no approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), to engage external auditors.”

    Represented by Comptroller S.I. Ibrahim, Ali added: “We just got this approval recently and the external auditors just sent a draft copy on the 2013 financial year to us just last week.

    “We wrote several letters to the BPP on this until we got the nod; it is not our own making.”

    On the N14.8 billion allegedly missing in the NCS as alerted by the OAuGF, Ibrahim informed the committee that prior to the introduction of the Treasury of Single Accounts (TSA), 28 commercial banks were collecting revenue for the Service.

    The report of the auditor general alleged that N14.8 billion got missing from the coffers of the Service in 2013.

    The Wole Oke-led committee consequently ordered the Customs boss to produce before it tomorrow three former account officers with the Service on another audit query of N28 million said to have been expended on a training programme for personnel at the Service’s premises in Gwagwalada, during which over N1 million was paid out for hiring a hall.

    Oke noted that: “It will be in the interest of the Customs boss to produce the affected officers, serving or retired, before this committee to tell us all we need to know about the expenditure or should be ready to refund the amount to the coffers of the Federal Government.”

    The committee also directed officials of the BPP to appear before it tomorrow to respond to the claims of the NCS.

    Also summoned by the committee is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to appear before it tomorrow on the alleged missing N14.8 billion in the Service.

    It equally directed the CBN governor to come with the statement of accounts of the NCS in the period under review with a view to tracking down the missing money.

  • Customs disowns online lists of shortlisted applicants

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Wednesday dissociated itself from some lists of “successful applicants” from its recruitment exercise describing it as activities of fraudsters.

    Joseph Attah, National Public Relations Officer of the service, in a press statement made available to The Nation, described it as an “attempt to deceive and extort money from unsuspecting applicants,” warning that such recruitment websites are fake and should not be patronised by members of the public.

    Attah , a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, said in the statement: “the attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has again been drawn to the unrepentant activities of internet fraudsters despite several scam alerts by NCS.

    “Recent activities of these elements show criminal ingenuity, presenting fake platforms that appears seemingly genuine to deceive and extort unsuspecting applicants that the Service has released short-listed names for recruitment examination/interview.

    “For the umpteenth time, NCS wishes to state that these recruitment websites/platforms are fake and should not be patronized.

    “Members of the public will recall that we denied several similar fake vacancies advertisement with a promise to properly inform the public whenever we are ready. A promise we kept by advertising the vacancies in seven National newspapers.

    “NCS is again warning against patronage of any release of short-listed candidates with a promise of letting successfully short-listed candidates know through their email addresses and telephone numbers soon.

    Additionally, such official release will be news item in all NCS programmes on TV and Radio stations.

    “Accordingly, all applicants are advised to disregard any invitation for recruitment examination/interview and wait patiently for the official release and invitation from the Service, please,” he said.

    Well received, thanks.Received, thank you.Acknowledged.