Onne Port second in rank to Lagos Port in revenue generati
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Onne Port generated N188.6 billion for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) between January and December 2021, which Customs Area Controller (CAC) Comptroller Auwal Mohammed described as the highest in the history of the command.
Onne Port Customs Public Relations Officer Ifeoma Ojekwu quoted him as saying that the revenue surpassed the N118. 96 billion generated in 2020 by N69.6 billion.
Mohammed disclosed that 34 seizures were made in 2021 with a total duty paid value of N11. 98 billion.
“Prominent among the seizures is 1,387 cartons of tramadol falsely declared to evade detection.
“Other seizures include rice, engine parts, vegetable oil and other concealed items with intent by defiant agents and importers to evade accurate duty payments,’’ Mohammed said, according to a statement issued by Ojekwu.
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Processed cargo
The command processed 1,083,846 metric tonnes of cargo with a total Free On Board (FOB) value of $402,367,568 on exports.
The Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) value of the total export is N764,462,724 according to the statement which was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and published by The Nation.
Mohammed commended his officers for their commitment to ensuring the facilitation of legitimate trade and preventing smuggling.
He urged them to intensify efforts in carrying out all NCS functions and to brace up for technology that would soon be deployed for faster cargo clearance and easier detection of concealments.
He gave an assurance that the command would build on its successes through customs community relations efforts.
Success of joint effort
Mohammed commended his personnel for the “feats jointly achieved in revenue collection, enforcement and trade facilitation.
“They are indeed laudable milestones that we must not only sustain but also improve upon for the benefit of our country’s economy and national security.
“Indeed, our various meetings with stakeholders and port users paid off in 2021 because we have noted remarkable improvements in compliance levels.
“As we enter 2022, let us continue to blend our enforcement capability with intelligence, to always detect all attempts at circumventing the law through false declarations, under-declarations and concealments.
“In 2022, whoever attempts doing the wrong thing, like smuggling through Onne Port, will get his cargo seized and risks facing arrest for prosecution in accordance with the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).
“We cannot afford to compromise our positions or disappoint on the trust reposed on us. I hereby advise, once again, that all importers and agents using this area for their businesses stay on the part of compliance at all times.
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