.Alleges Tincan, Apapa ports are documents forgery depot
By Uzor Odigbo
As the campaign by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) against Smuggling activities persistents, the federal government’s ban on vehicle import through land borders have suffered set backs in curbing the menace of smuggling through border posts between Nigeria and Republic of Benin.
Sequel to the latest developments heralding critical challenges, the government has been called upon to ensure that the ban on importation of vehicles through land borders be lifted, because thousands of such banned vehicles gain passage through illegal routes.
Speaking recently in Lagos, former Chairman Association of Nigeria Lincensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Comrade Abel Ayokunle councelled the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali to introduce new laws allowing payment of duty at point of entry.
Ayokunle also alleged that fake documents used to clear Smuggled vehicles through the Nigerian /Benin corridors were forged within the Tin Can Island and Apapa ports amongst others but basically, the two major Ports has been tagged as the depot of forgery
Comrade Ayokunle stated that genuine clearing agents at the border have been deprived of jobs by Smugglers, thereby appealing to Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali management team to be more lenient with the border operators and lift the ban placed on cars. The Smuggled cars he said, still find their way into the country through illegal routes in millions. If the embargo is lifted the Service will generate huge sums of revenue into the federation account.
“The major challenge here is the issue of verification of original document from the fake ones, a lot of people desire to pay correct duty to avoid being molested by security officials but cannot move freely as they wish due to fear of being arrested”
In the past, people can move from Nigeria to Cotonou to purchase any car of their choice, but today you hardly see an individual with original vehicle papers driving a new car with confidence. .
Forgery is done within the Lagos Ports Complex and every other places, assisted by big wigs in the Industry, he said
The question is why should government in this regard encourage smuggling, by allowing people to consume goods smuggled through illegal routes, instead of the ones that are dutiable.
With millions of vehicles passing through into the country daily, Customs cannot get hold of them due to the huge magnitude, the Custom officers can only do a little, except they are ready to lose their lives daily. The Military personnel drafted to assist the Customs through patrol of strategic areas have all been redeployed to Boko Haram infested areas in the Northern region, therefore, Customs is left alone to do the job.
The former ANLCA Chieftain said that it has been two years the borders doors preventing importation of vehicular from coming into the country was closed, he urged the federal government to open them to enable in flow of cars and make Nigerians smile again.
“We use much of our time playing games in the office, because there are no genuine jobs, and we can not participate in smuggling activities, a trade that short change government efforts in raising high revenue. Smuggling is what is thriving at the borders today, he said.
“The Command gets its major revenue from excise and the general goods. “Our members are passing through Seme border, and we don’t want a situation whereby Idiroko and Seme border chapters would be struggling for the same customer, whichever area is convenient for them is where they follow”.
He argued that they only pay money to government for renewal of their licences without jobs to do
Confirming this to TheNiche Newspaper, the Public Relations Officer of the Idiroko Customs Command, Mr. Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada revealed that the 2018 revenue target could not be achieved due to some unforseen challenges, stressing that only 70% of the target was met, however the 2018 revenue slightly surpassed 2017 target.
The anti smuggling operations at the border is what have triggered more revenue for the Commands at the Lagos Ports Complex.
Maiwada noted that the Anti Smuggling activities within their purview is what has gingered more revenue at the seaports, if we don’t block here, the area would be porous , we have achieved so much in anti smuggling activities”
While giving an insight of their achievements between 2018 and 2017, he hinted that in 2017 the Command recorded, 21,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, and in 2018 over 52,000 bags of rice were intercepted, the difference is highly remarkable. Also in the list of seizures include 471 vehicles that fell into the Customs custody.
Maiwada pointed out that, there are two major sources that generates revenue at the Idiroko Border, which include items that are not restricted from entering into the country through the land borders. These are, ceiling board and kitchen utensils.
“Therefore the other segment of their revenue drive, he said comes from excise duty, collected on locally manufactured goods, these goods are mostly alcoholic drinks, they pay duties on their respective products, the companies are many in Ogun State”, he said.
He disclosed that other means where the Command generates additional revenue is on baggage importation, this are cargoes that are not large enough to generate PAAR, they do what is called baggage assessment and revenue is collected on these goods, he noted.
