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Tag: NCS

  • FG urged to withdraw NITDA bill from NASS

    FG urged to withdraw NITDA bill from NASS

    The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has appealed to the Federal Government to withdraw the controversial National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) bill, before the National Assembly.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the 2007 NITDA Act is currently awaiting passage, following its amendment at the National Assembly.

    President of the NCS, Prof. Adesina Sodiya, at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday said the bill lacked stakeholders’ input and was hurriedly put together by vested interests.

    According to him, some stakeholders had condemned the bill for attempting to arrogate the powers of other government agencies to NITDA.

    “Unfortunately, we got to know from the social media that the bill was being proposed and it had gotten to the advanced stage by the time we got our information.

    “We saw that the bill was not good for us as a nation, we called on NITDA to arrange for stakeholders meeting.

    “The meeting was held in some cities, but all our inputs, as stakeholders were not considered.

    “We have asked questions, if the new bill is for all of us, we are all part of government.

    “Even the operators in the digital space must make contributions, but we discovered our position was not considered by NITDA,” Sodiya said.

    He said there was public hearing about two weeks ago on the matter, saying  what the social media said concerning the bill remained the same.

    Sodiya said even if the bill was to be upgraded, there was need to consider all stakeholders.

    He noted with concerns, that the bill, if passed into law, would lead to multiple regulations for telecom operators and other service providers in the ICT sector.

    Sodiya urged NITDA to focus on its core mandate of Information Technology development in Nigeria.

    He said having NITDA as another regulator in the telecom sector would send wrong signals to investors, as they would be subjected to multiple regulations and fees, if they invest in the industry.

    NITDA Act 2007, which established the agency, says its main objective was to use ICT as a tool in tertiary institutions, to drive the mechanism of the education sector in the country.

    “As the agency of the Federal Government, responsible for developing Information Technology in Nigeria, NITDA is empowered by its enabling Act to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardisation, application, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of IT practices, activities, and systems in Nigeria”.

  • Customs warns against fake online recruitment notice

    Customs warns against fake online recruitment notice

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has called on Nigerians to disregard recruitment notice circulating online.

    The NCS Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, made the call in Abuja on Friday.

    Maiwada described the notice as fake, noting that the NCS was not recruiting at the moment.

    ”The notice is the handiwork of unscrupulous element and an attempt to defraud Nigerians.

    “The recruitment notice with the link https://recruitmentfile.net/nigeria-customs-recruitment/ is fake and should be disregarded.

    “There are lots of indices to show that the notice is not from Customs, particularly the domain.

    “Our Website is www.customs.gov.ng.We do not use .net, so it is totally fake.

    “Customs is currently not recruiting and if it is doing so, it will be on the official website only,” he said.

    The spokesperson said that those involved in such act should desist, adding that it was evil.

  • Customs intercept contrabands worth over N600m in September-Hussein

    Customs intercept contrabands worth over N600m in September-Hussein

    The Nigeria Customs Service, acting Area Controller in charge of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Hussein Ejibunnu, disclosed that the agency has arrested five suspects, intercepted ammunitions and other contrabands worth Duty Paid Value of over N622m in September.

    He made this known while addressing journalists at the unit on Wednesday, he added that the unit also recovered N107m within the period under review.

    He said the unit intercepted imported bales of second-hand clothing abandoned in an uncompleted building in Lagos.

    Within the period under review, he added, the unit intercepted a large cache of Premium Motor Spirit, concealed inside sacks along the Badagry axis of Lagos State.

    He said, “Among the September seizures was a massive discovery of bales of 1,955 bales of used clothing in an abandoned building around the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. We made the discovery and evacuation using combined strategies of intelligence, tact and enforcement. Also within the same period, a large cache of PMS ingeniously concealed inside sacks was intercepted at the Badagry Axis of Lagos State.”

    “Other seizures recorded within the same period are, “7,328 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 121,550 litres of premium motor spirit, 68 cartons of frozen poultry, 37 crates of eggs used to conceal rice, 150 kg parcels of Indian hemp, 10 pieces of military Camouflage bags, Six units of used cars, I unit of pump action rifle, 2 units of locally made guns and 35 live cartridges. Five suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures mentioned above”

    Ejibunnu however said that the Federal High Court passed three judgements in favour of the units securing six convictions for illegal possession of smuggled goods.

    He also added that six civil suits against the Unit were dismissed.

  • Court remands oil and gas marketer in prison for alleged fraud

    A Federal High Court in Lagos State has remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Services, NCS, an oil and gas marketer, Emmanuel Morah, who was arraigned over alleged fraud and issuance of dud cheques.

     

    The trial judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, ordered that the defendant be remanded in custody till the perfection of the bail terms.

     

    Justice Aluko granted bail to Morah in the sum of N10m, with one surety in like sum.

     

    The judge admitted bail to the defendant, after listening to the submissions of both parties.

     

    According to the judge, the surety must be a resident and a property owner within the court’s jurisdiction, who must swear an affidavit of means.

     

    He stated that both the defendant and the surety must deposit their two recent passport photographs with the court, adding that the prosecutor must be part of the verification, and that the surety must be recognised by a cleric.

     

    The defendant was said to be among the convicts recently granted amnesty by the federal government on health grounds, but was yet to be released from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.

     

    Morah whose companies include Rocky Nigeria Limited, Rocky Oil Limited, and Rocky Energy Limited, was reportedly docked for obtaining the sum of N24m from the Chairman, Beauty and Fragrance International Limited, Alhaji Kayode Kasumu.

     

    He was said to have defrauded the complainant under a false representation that he would use the money to complete a property at No. 10 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, within two months, and rent part of it to him.

     

    The defendant was also alleged to have issued a Diamond Bank cheque, dated October 2, 2016, with monetary value of N10m, with account name, Rocky Energy Limited, in favour of Beauty and Fragrance International Limited, which was rejected and dishonoured on grounds of insufficient funds in the account.

     

    According to the prosecutor, Mr Justine Enang, the offences committed were contrary to and punishable under sections 1 (1) (a), (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; and sections 1 (1) (b), (2), and section 2 of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, CAP D11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

     

    The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him. Following his plea, Enang asked for a trial date and urged the court to remand him in custody.

     

    Morah’s counsel, E. M Ojere, while responding to the prosecutor’s request, told the court that he had filed the defendant’s bail application and the same had been served on the prosecution.

  • FG rakes in N68bn from beer, cigarettes, others in 6 months

    FG rakes in N68bn from beer, cigarettes, others in 6 months

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) collected over N68 billion from excise duty on beer, spirits and other alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and tobacco for the federal government between January and June.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports National Public Relations Officer of NCS, Deputy Comptroller Timi Bomodi made this known while presenting the half-year report of the service covering.

    The excise duty is levied on the manufacture, sale and consumption of goods that fall under the excise control, which include but are not limited to beer, spirits, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and cigarettes.

    The NCS collected a total revenue of N1.3 trillion into the Federation Account, covering import and excise duty, fees and levies for the period under review.  This represents an increase of N289.4 billion or 28.83 per cent growth rate compared to the N1.003trillion collected in the same period last year.

    While presenting the half-year report of the service for the period, Bomodi also disclosed that the Customs had commenced collections from traders producing carbonated and sugary drinks, which was newly added under schedule five of the Common External Tariff (CET).

    The Service has also said it would soon begin the collection of the new tariff on calls and data recently announced by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

  • Customs distance self from claims of auctioning 7000 cars

    Customs distance self from claims of auctioning 7000 cars

    The Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), has distanced itself from rumours making the rounds that a special auction of over 7000 cars would soon be held by the Service.

    The Public Relations Officer of Customs, Deputy Comptroller Timi Bomodi, made this known in a statement signed on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs in Abuja.

    He urged Nigerians to always refer to the electronic auction (e-auction) platform at https://app.trade.gov.ng/eauction/  for authentic information on auctioning.

    According to him, e-auction remains the only authentic means of auctioning goods to members of the public.

    “Auctions are periodic and advertised in advance on our website to avail the public the opportunity of selecting and bidding for items of their choice.

    “It will be recalled that the service deployed the e-auction platform in July 2017 to improve efficiency in revenue generation to the federal government.

    “It was also deployed to provide equal opportunities to all Nigerians in the seamless disposal of seized and condemned, and overtime and abandoned cargoes.

    “Since its implementation, the e-auction has lived up to expectations by guaranteeing transparency and integrity in the auctioning process,” Bomodi said.

    The spokesperson said that the requirements to take part in the e-auction bidding process by interested members of the public were clear.

    He said that applicants must process a valid Tax Identification Number (TIN), issued by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), with an active e-mail account.

    Bomodi added that the conditions and terms of the auction must be carefully considered by an interested person before acceptance.

    Bomodi further said an applicant must have an authentic and nationally accepted means of identification.

    He explained that those means of identification include an international passport, driver’s license, national identity card or voter card.

    Bomodi referred the public to the service’s e-auction portal at https://app.trade.gov.ng/eauction/ for further guidelines.

    Bomodi used the opportunity to call on owners of uncleared vehicles at the various ports to avail themselves of the VIN-Valuation protocols to clear them.

    He said the clearance procedure had been simplified, automated and made more user-friendly.

  • Kuje jailbreak: Senate directs NCS to install CCTV in all correctional centers

    Kuje jailbreak: Senate directs NCS to install CCTV in all correctional centers

    The Senate has directed the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) to make provision for Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in all correctional centers in its 2023 budget to tackle reoccurring attacks in the country.

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan said this on Thursday after an assessment visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre Kuje, following Tuesday’s attack that led to the escape of about 800 inmates.

    Lawan expressed shock over none functional CCTV at the facility and described the attack as disappointing and a sign of failure of the security system.

    “An attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, can only have been possible with the collaboration of insiders within the nation’s correctional system.

    “The attack on this correctional facility is symptomatic of the failure of security architecture. The attack is only a culmination of the failure.

    “We were told that an estimated 300 suspected terrorists attacked this facility. They came on foot and I believe they should have been detected.

    “In the first place, 300 people will not come for an operation like this without planning. Planning must have taken a week, a month or a bit more.

    “I believe that our security agencies should have picked this from their tracking systems in the FCT,” Lawan said.

    He added: “Secondly, having gone round the facility itself, we are disappointed that this facility does not have CCTV cameras, something that would record and give you details of what is happening and sometimes record the events.

    “This is a medium-security custodial center, how on earth in the FCT facility of this magnitude we don’t have CCTV? It means we can say that all other medium security centers across the country do not have CCTV.

    “We have asked the Comptroller General of Correctional Service to ensure that the request for CCTV at the maximum and medium custodial centres of the country are included in their 2023 budget because this is essential and indispensable.

    “Now, as this facility lacks a functional CCTV, there’s no record of what happened, except narration. But if we had CCTV, at least the records would have been there and analysis made, and arrest will be based on the information from the CCTV.”

    Lawan tasked the security agencies to ensure that the inmates who escaped from the center were brought back.

    Speaking earlier, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Army Battalion in Gwagwalada, Lt.Col. Adisa, told the Senate leadership that over 300 suspected insurgents attacked on the facility on Tuesday.

    “Only a total of 50 security personnel were on ground when they came armed with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and other weapons,” he said.

  • Customs gives update on vehicle identification number valuation

    Customs gives update on vehicle identification number valuation

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the suspended Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Valuation on imported vehicles to be deployed on Friday has been imputed with human face values.

    The Controller Valuation of NCS headquarters, Comptroller Anthony Udenze, made this known at a sensitisation programme ahead of the relaunch of VIN valaution on Thursday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the NCS in February introduced the VIN-Valuation policy on imported vehicle but it was rejected by customs agents .

    However, the clearing agents, vehicle importers and the NCS at the end of the sensitisation programme agreed that the suspended VIN valuation policy should be deployed on Friday.

    The policy was suspended to give room for adjustments in the values imputed in the system.

    Udenze said that the VIN valuation policy would facilitate trade when deployed.

    He said that customs had given a human face to the values imputed in the system adding that accidented vehicles and salvage vehicles were considered.

    “What we are presenting today is a uniformity and unification of values from all the area commands.

    “The committee looked at various issues and at the end of one month, we called stakeholders to a meeting in Abuja and showed them what we have done, they pointed out some areas which we have put in place,” he said.

    Udenze noted that House of Representatives members were invited to look at what was done and they were happy with the concept.

    “And today, we are here to showcase and sensitise all stakeholders that VIN- valuation has come to stay and after this, we are rolling out VIN valuation over the weekend.

    “By Monday, if you are capturing on Saturday, you are going to apply the VIN- Valuation.

    “I assure you that you will be surprised and happy to see what you will get. We have considered all the variants, all series of vehicles have been considered. What you get today will be more favourable to what you have been getting before,” he said.

    Also speaking, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf said that the world was evolving and customs would not remain static in the moving world.

    Yusuf said that a lot of control had been imputed for checks and balances, stressing that any mistake made would be discovered.

    “Automation of customs process is very essential and valuation of vehicles is not out of place. Now, some agents can sit down in their bedroom, and process clearance of their cargoes.

    “The new digital Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is another good development. Nigeria is not going to stay behind watching people take advantage of digital technology for business facilitation.

    “If there is anything we need to adjust, let us know. We will adjust it, but their is no going back on the VIN valuation,” he said.

    In his contribution, Comptroller Festus Okun of the PTML Command, noted that with Vin valuation, there would be uniformity and predictability and convenience.

    “We have always been talking about trade facilitation and this means applications of modern techniques into processes and at the same time improve on the quality of control in a harmonised manner.

    “I employ everyone to be on the same page. We should work together to see that this thing works in an environment that will promote trade and everybody will be beneficiaries,” he said.

    Also, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede of TinCan Island Command, said that VIN Valuation implementation would help the country to tackle security challenges due to integration of system with security agencies.

    “I appeal to stakeholders to be transparent because this is beyond customs.

    “Its benefits if rightly implemented will give us accurate statistics for national use, make integration easy between customs and other MDA’s including you stakeholders, it will enhance easy of doing business and it will facilitate legitimate trade,” he said.

    Dr Kayode Farinto, the Acting President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), urged agents on the need for compliance to enable customs give them auto-release for vehicles.

    According to Farinto, auto-release is the agents right and so customs should also do the needful to ensure seamless process.

    He noted that the way customs were increasing the value of PAAR was not professional, stressing that it would make stakeholders to circumvent the process.

  • NCS vows to sanction officer for allegedly assaulting civilian

    NCS vows to sanction officer for allegedly assaulting civilian

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has vowed to sanction one of its officers for allegedly “assaulting an unarmed civilian”.

    This is contained in a statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Dep. Comptroller Timi Bomodi, and made available to newsmenin Abuja on Monday.

    “The attention of the NCS has been drawn to a video making the rounds on social media.
    “In it, one of our officers was recorded assaulting an unarmed civilian.

    “This action took place on the Benin-Agbor Expressway at about 5.00 p.m. on May 7,” the statement added.
    Bomodi stated that the officer and other members of the team from FOU Zone ‘C’ “have since been withdrawn from patrol duties”.

    According to him, they are currently under administrative investigation at the NCS Zonal Headquarters Zone ‘C’, Port Harcourt.

    He explained that NCS officers were trained to carry out their duties with dignity and respect, and are expected to display decorum in all their conduct at all times.

    “Where they fail to carry out their brief as assigned, appropriate sanctions are applied to enforce discipline.
    “NCS would like to reassure the general public of its commitment to the welfare and safety of all citizens.

    “It frowns seriously at any act by its personnel capable of misrepresenting its corporate image.
    “We ask that all law-abiding persons go about their activities without fear of intimidation or harassment as we work assiduously to end this unwholesome incident,” he stated.