By Stpehen Ubanna
After several years of tinkering with options of controlling the unwholesome activities at the Apapa exit gate of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, under the close watch of Mohammed Bello-Koko, by past Area Controllers, of the Nigerian Customs service, NCS,’s premier Command, Babatunde Olomu, a Customs Comptroller, who many had said, knows his onions and who has given his words to continue from where is predecessor, Compt. Babajide Jayeioba, had stopped appears to have kept to his words.
With the maximum support and Cooperation of the Command Management team which includes the likes of DCs. Wale Adenuga, Ibrahim Turaki , overseeing the Command’s Revenue Unit, and APM terminal and the others, Compt. Olomu, who has taken the last two weeks to study what he met on ground, according to informed sources may have thrown his weight behind Frank Oyeka, a DC, in-charge of the exit gate to tighten up security at the gate to forestall cargoes, which duties were not fully paid or Contraband from leaving the port.
Those who had thought that it is still going business as usual may have been disappointed when they saw the other side of DC. Oyeka who was said to have tighten up security at the exit gate as he has refused to be compromised, let alone, give people room to gain unfettered access to him, except on official maters.
Some of the aggrieved stakeholders and their Customs collaborators who could no longer take it and are not happy over the tough stance of the Customs Deputy Comptroller, were said to have been peddling undangerous rumours as to distract him from doing his work and cause disaffection between him the Command Area Controller may not have succeeded in their plans to get him out.
Deputy Comptroller Adenuga, who has the mandate of the Customs Area Controller to speak as an officer who has been ground in the Command had said that’’ it has have never had it so good in making appreciable impact at the exit gate until the deployment of Oyeka by former Area Controller, retired Compt. Jayeioba, to man the gate.
The Customs Deputy Comptroller , overseeing the Command Revenue Unit,, who was said to have had at his fingertips the revenue coming into the Federal Government coffers from the Premier Command had revealed that DC. Oyeka, who works round the clock from Monday to Sunday, on a weekly basis to ensure that the right thing is done has not relented.
The Apapa exit gate, helmsman, knows that he cannot afford to fail as the Area Controller who superintends the Command will not take any excuse for an answer if that Consignment released from the premier port fall into the waiting hands of the officers of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, or any other security agency personnel on the road as was the case in the past.
At present, it is impossible for an SDV, to pass through the Apapa port exit gate. This is because of the attention of the Customs Headquarters on the Command which collects over 60% of the revenue target set for the service by the government on a yearly basis as no fewre than seven officers could attend to suspected document.
Take for instance of the service N5.1 trillion target this 2024, fiscal year, Wale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General and his Management team which has set a target for the Commands, with a targer of N6.5 billion, may have encouraged the Apapa Command Management team to set a revenue target for the terminals, with APMT, giving the highest target that runs into billions of naira daily. . It was not surprising why all hands are on deck to ensure that the target is met and even surpassed by leveraging on intelligence gathering, existing relationship with industry stakeholder and other security agencies at the port.
At the Apapa Customs Command, no fewer than 250 – 400 declarations are made b the stakeholders, who are pampered by the officers on a daily basis to ensure that the daily revenue collection of N6.5 billion target, is met. The Apapa Command daily declarations was a far a cry to the situation at the Edo/Delta Command, which was 250 declarations in a year, under Compt. Olommu, who was then the Area Controller of the Custom Formation in, south-south Nigeria but still surpassed the revenue set for it, nothwithstanding that ocean going vessels gladdened with cargoes were not coming to the port to load and discharge.
. This may have informed why he has put DC. Oyeaka and other senior officer holding strategic positions in the premier Command who are closely monitored to ensure that all Containers released from the Terminals, including bulk cargoes are properly scrutinized to ensure that appropriate duties were paid were paid, in line with Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA, 2023, that was signed into Law by former President Muhammadu Buhari, in April, 2023 .
Deputy Comptroller Adenuga, had confirmed that DC. Oyeka, his Colleague at the exit gate, had made several interventions that was said to recovery of millions of naira into government coffers through raising Demand Notice, on suspected cargoes. One of such interventions was said to have to led to the issuance of N32.4 billion DN, and N105 billion fully paid by the guilty importers.
There is no gain saying the fact that the various interventions that had been made DC. Oyeka and his officers at the exit gate had one a long way to boost the revenue generation of the Command in the last couple of months.
xBoniface Aniebonam,, Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, would never forget his experience in his experience in a hurry in the hands of DC. Oyeka and his officers at the gate as they said to stop his Containers from going over alleged anomalies, which was corrected before it exit the port.
Many believe that DC. Oyeka, and other officers holding sensitive positions at the Command may have cued to the Administrative style of the Area Controller that’’ no document should be left unattended to within 24 hours.
The Customs Comptroller was said to have made it clear, described as a workaholic, in Customs circles, was said to have made it clear to the officers hat he could leave no file unattended to on his table on daily basis, he could not understand why any officer working under his Leadership in the Command would allow files to pile up in the offices. He has his reason for attending to all files sent to his office on a daily to ensure that the government of trade facilitation was maintained.
An insider had told the Value News that the job which now appears to be weighing hardon the health Customs Comptrollery have forced him on a particular day to put his office under lock and key to have a short nap as he effused to bow to pressure attend to visitors, not even officers who had files to deliver to him to sign, let alone pick his phone to answer calls. This gives an insight to how tedious the job at the Apapa Command is, as disclosed by DC. Turaki, described by agents as the ‘’almighy Turaki, which requires ‘’proper Coordination ’’. He was emphatic that any Comptroller who is not organized cannot run the Apapa Command bcause of the too many tricks importer agents could employ to arm-twist officers which has become very difficult in the recent time.,
The Customs Comptroller, acting on brief from the DC. Adenuga, overseeing the Command Revenue Unit, had confirmed that two different occasions or more, it has surpassed the daily revenue to hit the N7.1 billion and N9 billion mark, daily , despite the low volume of cargo traffic due to the volatility of the country’ foreign exchange market. The Command had generated N182 billion in the month of April and a cumulative total sum of N76 billion was paid into the Federation Account I the first quarter of this 2024, Fiscal year, under the previous Administration, which many see as a challenge to Compt. Olomu to surpass as had been his trade mark as a performer.
A source confirmed that the Command have collected much more than N6.5 billion target set for it both for the fat that some multi-national companies believed to be making significant imports which translates to huge import duty payments have relocated to the Lekki Free Trade Zone Command, which is now competing with the Premier Command in revenue generation. One of such companies was Flour Mill, which was said to have transferred its N30 million duty payment initially paid to the Apapa Command to the new Lekki Free Trade Zone, Command.
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