As further proof to the efficiency of the closed borders, the Port Harcourt Area II Command of Nigeria Customs Service in Onne has declared N69,449,896,709.79 as revenue from January to August 2020.
Former Controller of the command, Aliyu Galadima Saidu made this known while handing over to a new Area Command Controller, Comptroller Baba Auwal Mohammed, the new Area Controller. He described the feat as a product of hardwork, dedication and honesty on the part of the officers.
Saidu, who is now an acting Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG ) in charge of ICT/ Modernisation Department of the Nigerian Customs Service, said the command has always strived to improve on revenue generating capacity for the Federal government. He attributed the increased revenue profile to the rise in trade volume, blocking of revenue leakages and level of ports users compliance among others.
He maintained that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the command was not deterred in giving her best, stating that its offices resiliently keyed into the stipulated mandate of achieving speedy clearance of cargo while enthusiastically carrying out 100 percent physical examination which provided the needed impulsion to creating an enabling environment to thrive in smooth attainment of trade facilitation
On export, Saidu said the command during the period under review, achieved a total of 2,402,776 metric Tons (MT) of export activities with Free on-board (FOB) value of $128,711,308,27
He said the command with its anti smuggling operations recorded 31 seizures involving 27 Containers with total duty paid value 825,735,.296.88.
The breakdown of seizures, he said, includes 802 bags of 50kg foreign Rice, 5,615 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil 3,184 bales of second hand clothing,1,060 pieces of used tyres,69 logs of unprocessed wood, 641 bags of used white cement, 76 pieces of door, 1,692 cartons of foreign soaps and detergents, and 6,500 pieces of substandard Aluminum zinc.
Others were 5,300 rolls of royal carpet, 6,500 pieces of used canverse, 4 units of Toyota Hiace buses and 4 units of 10 tyre trucks, additional seizure of 175 bales of second hand clothing and 53 bales of fabric which were seized in July 2020.
He described the command’s relationship with host communities as robust while giving kudos to the synergy between the Nigerian Customs Service and other sister agencies, insisting that such should be made to grow stronger for respective and collective success in national interest.
Mohammed assured that compliant traders should have nothing to worry about while reiterating that infractions and other illegalities would be treated with full weight of the law.
