By Stephen Ubanna
For years, the Lagos port of Apapa, Tincan Island, Port Multi-services Terminal, PTML, and KiriKiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, phases I and II, had provided much job for the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve center and FOU, Zone C, Owerri, patrol tam officers much job.
The situation was more worrisome along the Oshodi -Apapa express Way and the Lagos- Benin city, road where Agents taking the Consignments of their clients to the south east states of Abia, Eboyi, Anambra, Enugu, and Imo, are always upbeat for fear of playing into the hands of officers on the road. They are right.
It was not surprising why the Command premises are always filled with Containers released from the the Lagos port and re-routed to the premises for alleged contravention of government fiscal policies, ranging from under declaration, underpayment, concealment to machine outside for proper examination.
The Containers which had been released from the Lagos ports but had had escaped the eagle eyes of the Unit personnel on the road had fallen into the waiting hands of the FOU, zone C, Owerri patrol team team officers and rerouted to Edo/Delta Command premises for safe keeping or Government WareHouse , Oweeri, if intercepted around Anambra or Owerri axis or any other Customs Command , within its areas of Jurisdiction.
Compt. Michael Ugbagu, Area Controller, FOU, zone C, Owerri, Imo state, may have alluded to this when he stated disclosed that the Command had raised, N8,859,151.00 Demand Notice, DN, which was an indictment on the Lagos ports.
The Customs Comptroller had said that they could do that much because of the mandate that given to the Command by the Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, which has to do with Trade Facilitation, revenue generation and enforcement responsibilities.
Compt. Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, Area Controller, Tin Can Island Command, may have taken advantage of his position as a -one-time officer, in charge of the Apapa, Tincan Island and One port exit gates at one time or the other to have discovered another fraud being perfected at the ports by importers with their Agents: improper examination of containerized cargoes at the port.
Compt. Onyeka, may have waited for an opportunity to stop the mess as at the port as the driver of the vehicle. The opportunity came when he was appointed the Area Controller of Tincan Island last December. An insider told The Value News online Magazine that from the very first day, he resumed office, many of the fraudulent importers with their agents who had been bribing way to get their way to get their improperly examined Containers knew that they were in for trouble.
The Customs Comptroller may have sent a signal to members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs, ANLCA, Tincan Island chapter, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, and other Agent’s Groups that it is no longer going to be business as usual.
There were instances of some Containers that were said to have been released under Compt. Dera Nnnadi, a former Area Comptroller of the Command, now an Assistant Comptroller General of the service at the Customs Headquarter, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, which the importers’ Agents had failed to exit at the port until the no nonsense Compt. Onyeka, whom, a source had said is working according the mandate of the CGC, assumed duties.
The initial complaint was that the officer in charge of the Command exit gate, had stopped all examined Containers released from exiting the port. The officer was said to have to put up a strong defense his boss who had deployed him to man the exit gate had given such directive.
Unknown to many, the new Customs Comptroller who was acting information was said to have given the matching order to the Deputy Comptroller, manning the Command exit gate gates and his officers not to allow any Container exit the port until re-examined and subsequently released. It was not surprising why some Containers which had earlier been released by the previous management stayed at the port for an additional one -two weeks and the importer made to pay the extra-charges imposed on the cargo before exiting it from the port.
At the just concluded Leadership Training Programme, for the newly promoted Customs Comptrollers at Customs Training and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, where the CGC, had harped on their new role in the service as Management Staff involved decision making at their various Command, may have emboldened Comptroller Onyeka to act decisively.
He may have been further encouraged by the CGC’s message that as Comptroller, operating at the Command level, ‘’you are pivotal in promoting trade facilitation, revenue generation and the country’s economic growth by tightening up security at the nation’s land border stations with the neighbouring countries.
It was not surprising the Tincan Island Area Controller, who had been equipped with skills to effectively run the Command from the Abuja, Leadership training programme was said to have stated putting into practice what he had learnt from the Comptroller and resource persons who had then through their various lectures, including Prof. Isa Suleiman, who had talked about decision making.
Compt. Onyeka, who is determined to stop the mess met on ground at the port was said to have told the officers to ensure thorough examinations of Consignment at the Examination Bays at all times before their release from the port to avoid playing into the hands of FOU, personnel along the road in different locations in Lagos state or the Lagos-Benin city road, which had been the case in the past.
The Tin can Island Area Controller, who many believe is a strong ‘’ advocate of seamless operations ‘’, was said to have urged the officers ‘’to carry diligent inspections to avoid unnecessary ‘’stop and search actions upon departure from the port’’ by FOU, personnel, who are stationed at strategic locations in the south west and South east regions to checkmate the activities of smugglers.
The Delta state born Customs Comptroller, who was said to have prioritized seamless cargo clearance and national security ‘’ in all decisions, was said to have announced plans to organize a training and capacity building workshop s for the officers aimed at re-equipping and enhancing their knowledge on Customs processes and procedures.
He was said to have further urged the officers not to deviate ‘’to maintain professionalism and cavity ‘’ in their everyday interactions with the trading public, warning that any act of misconduct which filters out to the hearings of the Command Management Team, under his Leadership would be visited with the appropriate punishment.
He was said to have repeated said during the recent interaction with the officers that ‘’the new Management team is committed ‘’to fostering transparency and accountability in all areas of Customs processes and procedures’’, ostensibly to enhance the Command monthly revenue generation.
The Customs Area Controller’s interaction with the officers at the Tincan Island Command, supervised by him, may have prepared him to speak to the Leadership of APFFLON, led by Hakeen Ayibojo, who had paid him a working visit.
The Association Leadership and its members appears to have cued into the Customs Comptroller policies to enhance the Command service delivery as they were given their words ‘’to collaborate with him and his management team in ensuring smooth port operations and preventing importation of prohibited products, particular, Tramadol and other dangerous drugs including Cartridges, arms and ammunition into the country.
The APFFLON, Leadership, may have compelled Comptroller Onyeka, to speak on some technical issues raised that has to do with promoting the policy thrusts of the service which is to collaborate, consolidate and Innovate towards creating a safe and conducive working environment that will not pose a threat to the nation’s security.
Appealing to the APFFLON Leadership, and other Associations of the Freight Forwards and Agents including the Customs Brokers, he was said to have advised to take advantage of the policies the Customs Management team, under the Leadership of CGC. Adeniyi, ‘’to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the implementation of the new policies of the service, to ensure that the soon -to-be Launched Odogwu Clearance be Launched system in the Command by the Customs helmsman to further enhance the efficiency of the Command operations will be a success. Vintage Onyeka.
