95 Suspects in the Net in NCS, Zone A

No fewer than 95 persons suspected to have contravened various provisions of the law in the last six months are in the net of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos.

The suspects were arrested in connection with 475 different seizures comprising foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, arms, fake pharmaceutical/ medicaments and general merchandise.

Within the period under review, the service also intercepted various contraband with duty paid value (DPV) of N1.3 billion just as it recovered N1.2 billion from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that the consignees in collaboration with their licensed customs agents tried to circumvent the system in the seaports, airport and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), NCS, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba revealed this in an exclusive interview with THISDAY.

He attributed the successes recorded by the command to the support and cooperation it received from the management of the NCS under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Colonel Ibrahim Hameed Ali (retired).

His words: “I did not do this alone. My officers and men and officers have been alive to statutory roles and responsibilities namely anti-smuggling campaign, revenue generation and trade facilitation. This is because the CGC and the management recognized hard work and putting square pegs in square holes. Without the management motivation and necessary logistic support, we won’t have achieved this feat within this period”.

He also attributed the strides made by the command to the support and co-operation he received from sister security agencies within its areas of jurisdiction following his courtesy visits to them.

These include the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lagos; Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Cantonment Ikeja; Commander, 35 Artillery, Nigerian Army, Alamala Baracks Abeokuta, Ogun State; Commissioners of Police, Ogun and Lagos State.

A former Senior Special Assistant on Maritime, Mr. Olugbenga Leke Oyewole has decried the division in the country rather than focusing on issues that benefit the citizenry.

Oyewole who was an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan stated that rather dissipating energy on things that would do the country good, the agitators should deploy their energy on things that would change the present poor economic fortunes in their respective states.

He expressed dismay that political nobility, tribal sentiments and subtle religious invasion have pervaded our national discourse and distracted public officials so much that governance was almost reduced to counter claims.

According to him, our blessings of an honest President and a diligent, smart Vice President have become unnoticeable. Earlier this week, I was invited to the economic diversification forum of Ondo State. Very impressive is the effort of the new government in the state under the leadership of Mr. Olurotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN. The governor seems poised to develop the state at all cost. The industrialization drive looks unstoppable, employment and wealth creation for the indigenes is definitely on course. He revealed that the governor has secured two bitumen block licenses, arranged for an exploration company and got off-takers for asphalt overseas.

He also disclosed that the governor has appealed to the Federal Government to approve the state’s waterfront for a deep sea mining port.

“Oil palm and Cocoa plantations in the state are to be developed through a presented master plan. This is a focused Governor with clear vision. Indeed, the presidency and the Acting President have given strong backing through approvals and physical presence at the forum.

Really, if all governors will do this Nigeria will be much better. Unfortunately, 70 percent of governors go cap in hand to Abuja to receive handouts that they were never part of making. All states have one mineral or the other to tap. Solid minerals, agriculture, aquaculture, handcrafts can do a lot. Inefficient IGR collection is even a problem in many states.

I will agree with restructuring as a panacea only if the six geo-political zones will form the federating units and all federal ministries will be dissolved leaving only the external affairs and the armed forces at the centre”, he said.

Continuing, Oyewole said: “The National Assembly should also become one arm and to run on part time basis. Otherwise, what have we done with the structure on ground? In the God’s structure, the south has smaller land size than the north. God has put heavy minerals like crude oil and gas, iron ore, bitumen, palm oil in the South and bless it with the ocean to transport it. He gave the North a vast land and put solid minerals like gold, zinc, copper, lead, and diverse precious metals which are easier to transport by road, rail or air.

“However, we are busy looking for oil in the north. To export any oil found in the north we have to pipe it to the South. Come to think about it, the era of oil is gone. In eight years no car manufacturer will produce petrol engines. Volvo produces only hybrid cars now. But, can you imagine the wonder of God? He put plenty of lead in Zamfara, Gombe, and Nasarawa States as well as almost all states in the North. We find lithium, cadmium, zinc, copper and nickel so that car manufacturers can buy these metals from Nigeria for the rechargeable batteries!”

He argued that the over N600 billion spent on oil exploration in the Lake Chad basin was more than enough to start a battery manufacturing plant.

“The auxiliary mining industries and other support services would have taken more idle hands from Boko Haram. I implore the Acting President to start two things immediately and simultaneously too commence aggressive sensitization of Nigerian youths on the ills of war by directing all NTA stations to devote two hours daily to air documentaries of war in Somalia, Rwanda, Liberia, Angola, Libya etc. FG must commit money to buying airtime on Channels and AIT as well. The Paris money, any money available or to be borrowed should be channelled towards developing viable and strategic industries in the six geopolitical zones in collaboration with private investors. This is with a view to establishing something in all the states”, he said.