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| The Comptroller General of the Service; Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde |
In what appeared as a direct fallout of his recent visit to Tin Can Island command of the Nigeria Customs Service, where he caught some officers in under hand dealings, the Comptroller General of the Service; Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde has ordered the immediate redeployment of 200 Assistant Superintendents of Customs (ASC) from the command.
Even though he could not confirm if the redeployments were a fallout of the Customs CG's sting operation carried out at the port recently, the Public Relations Officer of the command, Chris Osunkwo told our correspondent in his office yesterday that no replacement has been made yet for the transferred officers.
"Yesterday, 200 officers at the level of Assistant Superintendent of Customs Grade 2, were redeployed, but I cannot confirm to you if it is as a result of the CGC's visit or any other official reasons" Osunkwo said.
Apart from this, Dikko has also reiterated that the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) and the customs enforcement officers must no longer interfere in the process of cargo clearance at the ports.
The CG of Customs had, upon the shocking discovery of unbridled sharp practices at Tin Can during his visit, threatened to punish erring officers.
During the surprise visit, an officer was deranked, while his head of unit; Deputy Comptroller Jane Shoboiki was also made to write a statement and moved from Tin Can summarily.
While confirming last Monday’s development at Tin Can port, the command’s image maker; Chris Osunkwo had said: ''The junior officer was ordered to be detained at the customs enforcement unit while the Deputy Comptroller was directed to make a statement on the misconduct which was discovered by the CG himself''.
During the surprise visit, an officer was deranked, while his head of unit; Deputy Comptroller Jane Shoboiki was also made to write a statement and moved from Tin Can summarily.
While confirming last Monday’s development at Tin Can port, the command’s image maker; Chris Osunkwo had said: ''The junior officer was ordered to be detained at the customs enforcement unit while the Deputy Comptroller was directed to make a statement on the misconduct which was discovered by the CG himself''.
But, at a meeting with leaders of freight forwarding associations at Tin Can port yesterday, the Controller in charge of the CIU of customs headquarters, Mr. Tajudeen Olanrewaju told agents that the CIU has now been banned from having physical contact with people at the port other than to participate in examination of cargo.
Olanrewaju had warned that all cases of "cut and lock" will be treated as an economic sabotage and national security threat, even as he warned that any officer that contradicts the new directive will be sanctioned under the Public Service Regulations.
Shipping Position Daily also obtained a circular No 05/2014 and NSC/ADM/MGT/015/S.21/C/VOL.9 issued by the CGC, signed by ACG Musa Tahir which directed that, "henceforth all CIU operatives are to operate from outside the terminals".
"They are however allowed to witness examination and to participate in examination after which they withdraw to their offices outside the port, CIU must not issue clearance to any importer under any guise"
"After physical examination of cargoes, no officer is allowed to have contact with an importer or his agent, any such contact will be viewed by Management as compromise of maximum revenue collection which will be punishable under appropriate Public Service Regulations (PSR)"
"On no account should an importer or his agent seek any form of clearance from any enforcement officer at the terminal or examination bay" the CGC stated in the circular.
But, speaking with our correspondent shortly after the meeting with the Customs top man from Abuja, the Vice Chairman of the Tin Can Chapter of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Ada Akpunonu said that the idea behind the circular is not to punish any officer or any agent, but it’s just to reduce human contact and to ensure compliance.
According to her, the level of compliance to customs procedures at the port is currently very low and the chapter executives have already embarked on a sensitization campaign to all freight forwarders on the need to ensure compliance.
"We are talking about the new system of goods clearance where human contact is discouraged, we are trying to sensitize the people that this is not to punish any officer or any agent, but it’s just to reduce human contact and to ensure compliance because the level of compliance is very low, so we are being encouraged by the area controller to inform our people that we all should embrace compliance" she said.
"We have the PRO and our coordinators on ground to disseminate the information at their various terminals" she told our correspondent.
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