Customs: Actg. Compt. Onyeka Moves to Sanitize Tincan Island Command to Improve Revenue Generations

 By Stephen Ubanna

The era of frustrations which was said to have characterized the activities of forced importers with their agents at the Tincan Island Island Command under the then Leadership of the Compt. Dera Nnadi, now an actg. ACG.  at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, appears to be over

 Recall that the due to the frustrations encountered by the agents in taking delivery of their clients Consignments at the Lagos port  may have forced many of them who have influence over their importers to advise them to ship their cargoes to the Premier port of Apapa, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, phases I,  II  or Port Multiservice Terminal Limited, PTML, to take delivery of their  Containerized cargoes and vehicles  to keep away from the troubles of the Tincan Island terminal and exit gate officers.. Some of the Tin can Island based importers were said to have also relocated to Onnee port in Rivers state.

Tincan Island port exit gate

 The relocation of some traditional importers from the Tin can port to other ports in Lagos and the Onnee port may have reflected in the volume of cargo that was said to have passed through the port in 2024, which was said to have had a spillover effect on the Command revenue collection, which may not have been much noticeable because of the continued devaluation of the naira by President Bola Ahmed  Tinubu, which had unified the official and Parral, popular, Black market exchange rates to the North American country of the United States dollar used as a means of foreign transactions, United Kingdom, UK, Pound Sterling and European EURO.

The Command had had a revenue target of N1,413, 460,064851.62, which the erstwhile Area Controller of the Tincan Island Command was said to have put in all the tricks including issuing outrageous Debit Note to importers who had contravened the  Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Common External Tariff, CET, that had been adopted by the Nigerian Government in its Fiscal Policy.

Acting ACG. Nnadi & act. Compt.Frank Oyeka, during handover at Tincan Island Command

Unitl , actg ACG. Nnadi vacated office for his successor actg. Onyeka to step into the big shoe, the Command was said to have collected and paid into the Federation about 82% of the revenue target, leaving the balance for his successor to make up the balance, which is still a closely guided secret, until the Customs Comptroller has seen the total revenue figure of the Command for the year 2024.   

Although, actg ACG, Nnadi, may have known where he got it wrong at the Command that he has suddenly turned out to be an apostle of peace, urging agents who have problem to feel free to see him at the Customs Headquarters for help as   his office is open for visitors. He was said to have also moved a step further to canvass for support for actg. Onyeka to succeed in office.

Given his experience on the job and a thorough bred Professional, he may have read the handwriting that he needed to carry everybody along and see himself as a servant of the people and not boss to achieve his 2025, revenue target.

Barly two in office, an insider told the Value News online Magazine that some of the importers with their agents, particular, the vehicle importers who had relocated to PTML, to take delivery of their vehicle have relocated to the port.

Even within the last two weeks or there about that he has been in office, he was said to have sent a message to the Freight Forwarders and other industry stakeholders including the Media through his body language that he has come to work and improve on the revenue generation of the Command, meaning that no agents not to be afraid to approach him as he needed their support to move the Command forward.

Informed sources told The Magazine that he has never had any moment of rest since the beginning of the year  as he was said to have held  series of meetings with various groups including officers on to perfect plans on how to improve the revenue collections of the Command.

. Many believe that Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, CGC, could not have approved his deployment to the Command if he has nothing offer. Aware that that the Customs Comptroller General had , recognized  Compt. Babatunde Olomu, the Apa Command Area Controller, at the Nov. 29, 2024, Award Night in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as the 2024, Best Comptroller of the year and also superintending a Command recognized as  Best in Revenue Generation, which the athletic built Area Controller had described as a fallout of Team work may have informed why the Tincan Island Command  actg .Comptroller  had moved to sanitize the Command just as its areas of revenue leakages had  successfully blocked to improve on its services and revenue generation.

One of such areas of revenue Leakage which had been locked was the abuse of PUB, which the Federal Government over the years was said to have lost billions of naira which had entered inti private pockets. Actg. Comptroller Onyeka, who is expected to be decorated with his full Comptroller’s rank soon, may have known that the rot will not continue that he was said to have beamed his searchlight on the unit.

He was said to have made it clear to returnee Nigerians on foreign service or leaving abroad but who wants to come back Nigeria finally with their personal Luggage but had paid the DN, issued will get their Consignment released but those who may want to play smart by importing other goods including posh vehicles in the guise of personal effect would be forced to pay duty on them.

The case of Olukayode David -Albert,,, a 70 year-Old Nigerian  who had imported a luxurious  2024, Hyundai vehicle  ,which should attract  an import duty rate  of 20%, 20%, levy and Value Added Tax, VAT, OF 7.5% ,  going by the provisions of the ECOWAS,  CET, was to be cleared as personal effect but the Customs acting stopped it , giving an insight of what had been happening at  the port over the  years, with the FG, losing out.

ECOWAS, Ct,  2022-2026, schedule 2, No 8, subsection 3,  was said to have clearly stated that  goods  classified  as  ‘’baggage’’ for Nigerian Citizens  who have resided outside the country  for at least nine months  are to be shipped to the country  and cleared duty free but it has been abused by the shippers over the years but the story has changed .

An agent had confirmed both not for the intervention of the Area, the Consignment would have been cleared as personal effect, noting that it is not the first time as even Supper Marked goods had been cleared at the Command as PUB.

With the sanity that had been introduced to the clearing of PUBs at the Tin can Island port may have emboldened the agents to call on the no nonsense actg. Area Controller who shown the stuff he is made up of to also beam his searchlight at the Command exit gates where the Mafia at work.

There was an instance of an agent who was said to have processed his client’s import documents, paid the relevant import duty, levy and VAAT, and had positioned his Trailer to load his Container and exit the port, only for an order to come that a senior officer interested on the job had put a hold on the truck exiting the port. The only explanation the senior officer at the exit gate could give was that the officer who had them at the gate had stopped the Consignment from exiting the port.

The aggrieved importer was said to have visited the Command premises on Wednesday. January 8, 2025, to see te acting Comptroller but was said to have seen Ngozi Okwara, the Command spokesperson to report the incident as the client’s Container had been detained at the port for the past two weeks, with no good reason, except that someone is interested on the job. This is where the Customs actg. Comptroller may have to step into call the officers to order.

 Perhaps, what may interest importers with the agents is the changes that had been brought in the Area Controller’s waiting room. The online Magazine took time out to be at the Command premises recently to see whether there has been a change of attitude by the agents.

   The Magazine had cited some of the trouble makers in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF and National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, who could cause trouble for any Comptroller who had come to see him in relation to their clearing job.

The Customs Area Controller may have shown that ‘’power is transient’’ and that one has to live a legacy wherever he found himself and impact on the live of the live to remembered either for good or for bad. This may have informed why he has moved to sanitize the Command level and terminals, both within and outside the port to ensure that the right thing is done. He may have shown that he is ready to work with all agents to ensure that the right thing is done.

Until actg. Onyeka, redeployment to the Tin can Island Command, there was a particular Seat in the Comptroller’s waiting room which no visitor was allowed to sit on, let alone perch on it because ‘’it is only meant for the Comptroller’’, who watches over it through his Close Circuit Television, camera to ensure that no visitor sits on it.

Informed sources told the Magazine that there was a Customs Inspector was detailed to monitor what is happening in the Comptroller’s waiting room and who comes in intermittently to ensure that the Comptroller’s Seat is vacant at all times.  But all that has changed, no thanks to Act. Compt. Onyeka.The Customs Inspector may have alluded to directive of the Command former Area Controller that one Seat should be reserved for him the visitor’s waiting room.

An insider told The online Magazine that actg. Comptroller Onyeka, who may have been influenced greatly by his style of Administration at the Onne port, Tincan Island and Apapa exit gates where he really understands ‘’the psychology of the Freight Forwarders and how to relate with them and get them do the right thing.

Not only has he liberalized the sitting arrangement in the Comptroller’s waiting room, he was said to have  also made a habit to come out regularly  on the corridor leading to his office where he was said to have repeatedly accosted visitors loitering around the office to know their problem and how the service can be of help to him or her. Some agents , whose jobs have been hanging under the previous management were said to haven lucky to run into him at the corridor were said to have had their problem sorted out immediately , with a warning .

A source confirmed that despite his tight schedule in the office and close monitoring of the officers holding strategic positions in the Command to ensure that follow his lead and do right thing without compromising on their position, THE Customs actg. Compt. still finds out time to walk into the Comptroller’s waiting room to ascertain the number of visitors waiting to see him and pick them in batches to his office to treat their cases.

 The source, who described the Customs Comptroller as’’, a  ‘’thorough bred officer and Professional ’’ had said  that he is always ‘’patient to listen to agents Complaints’’ and assist where necessary. This may informed why importers with their agents are always happy to pay their DN. Without any grudge.

The Tin can Island Area Controller may have alluded to the continued support and collaboration of the importers with their agents and other stakeholders including the Concessionaires and shipping companies  to stop illicit trade and combat smuggling activities at the port which was said reflected on the Command’s revenue generation in the recent time.  Vintage Onyeka.

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