By Stephen Ubanna
Those who takes advantage of their closeness to Compt. Frank Okechukwu, Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Command to to walk into the Comptroller’s waiting room, believing that he will be lucky to be called up to see him in the office if he strolls in as usual would be disappointed.
The Customs Comptroller, who ‘’looks calm, unassuming’’ and always assuring friends and close associates that he is in the office, 24-7, appears to have changed his Adminirative style to reduce pressures in his office and concentrate much more on his job of trade facilitation, revenue generation and enforcement that would make the Tin-can Island Command a role model appears to have maintained the new policy.
Unknown to many, the Tin can island Area Controller, who had tested various approaches of running the affairs of the Command and welcoming visitors by dimystifying the office of the Comptroller through his his open- door policy, may have endeared him to stakeholders .
The leadership of Association of Nigerian licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Association of Professionals of Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, AFFLON, all Tin-can Island Chapters, and even Maritime Journalists, had seen him as impeccable leader.
Given his open- door policy, the Comptroller’s waiting room is, according to informed sources is usually filled up on a daily basis by invited and uninvited visitors. The Tin-can Island Area Controller, believed to be a good student of Bashir Adewale Adeni, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, CGC, who had focused in implementing his policy thrusts of ‘’Consultation, Consolidation and Innovation, CC&I, to sustain the Command’s track-records of superlative performance may not have allowed pressures from visitors to derail his efforts at this tail end of his remaining year thereabout in office that he was said to have put the rush into his office under control.
This may have informed why he had adopted a new face of Administration to control movement into his office ,tightened controls on the Command areas of revenue Leakages to ensure that the 2025, N1,5 trn, target is realized and even surpassed with significant margin, unequaled in the Command’s history.
A senior officer who spoke to the Value News on condition of anonymity had confirmed that between Dec. 20, 2024, and now, he had initiated some major reforms to move the Command forward as he stamped his foot down to ensure that stakeholders fully understand the import of ‘’the roll out of the e-Customs platform’’.
The e-Customs platform, according insiders that was said to have been introduced during the previous Administration led by Hameed Ali, an Army Colonel, rtd, was designed ‘’to reduce human interference at the port and Corruption’’ and Compt. Onyeka, who had cued into it had persistently urged stakeholders to embrace it and do the right thing.
However, one of the major challenges which the past and current Tin-can Island Area Controller may have faced since the introduction of the B’Odogwu facility, and indigenous technology, which had replaced the Nigerian Integrated Customs Information System, NICIS, II, a foreign technology managed and operated by WEBB Fontaine, on behalf of the Nigeria Customs Service was alleged extortion of importers with their agents and inability tosource the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Certificate, SONCAP , for exports and approved imports into the Nigerian market.
Initially, Importers with their agents had applauded the B’Odogwu platform which had introduced six major reforms which includes the Time Release Study, TRS, which measures real clearance time at ports, identified bottlenecks as well as offers solution to reduce cargo dwell time at the port.
This is in addition to Data Analytics, which was said to have shifted Customs operations from intuition to intelligence, risk-based inspections, and block areas of revenue Leakages which may have informed why there are fewer leakages at the Commands, Authorized Economic Operator, AEO, that was said to have given rise to trusted traders rewarded with faster clearance of their cargoes, Incentive Compliance, which aligns with global best practices.
Other milestones that were said to have been introduced by the B’odoguwu, an insider confirmed was an Integrated Single -Window environment described as seamless, digital and transparent as well as the acquisition of faster and non-intrusive inspections Rapid Scanners, designed to enhance both Trade Facilitation and Border Security.
Good as the Customs reforms may be, the importers with their agents appears not to be finding it funny any longer in patronising B-Odogwu facility platform to conclude their clearing due to alleged extortion due to recapture import declarations and sourcing for SONCAP for them.
Although, at the Lagos ports of PTML where the pilot phase of the B’Odogwu, was started in Nov. 2023, before being expanded to Apapa, Tin-can Island and PortHarcourt, II, Onne Commands, The Tin-can Island based agents and Freight Forwarders, had cried out of the continued extortion to recapture their client declared goods at the designated B’Odogwu platform in the Command.
There had been allegations of additional payment for ‘’recaptured import declaration at the Tin-can Island Customs B’Odogwu platform’’, despite the initial payment that had been made and the aleged delays being experienced in in sourcing the SONCAP, for them to facilitate the clearing of their cargoes at the port.
An aggrieved importer had confirmed that they havenever had any problem in sourcing for the SONCAP, which regulates product imports in to the Nigerian market, as WEEB Fontaine provides it with little or no effort to facilitate trade.
On Thursday, October 2, 2025, a Lagos based Journalist who had appointment with the Tin-can Island Area Controller, was at the Command to keep to the appointment but met met a brick wall because of the Comptroller’s new policy.
The Lagos based Journalist who had arrived at the Command premises had walked straight to the PRO’s office to alert him of his presence in order to inform the CAC , to facilitate his seeing him but later relocated to the cOMPTROLLERS WAITING ROOM.
While at the CAC, waiting room, the PRO, had returned to his office through another entrance within the office complex. Unknown to the visitors hanging out around to the CAC, waiting room to see the CAC, including the Journalists, one of the security details to the Comptroller hand entered into the reserved area for the Area Controller’s guests to clear the room of unwanted visitors .
The security detail who had come with some visitor forms calling out those approved to relocate to his busy office and wait for their turn to see the CAC. Shortly after that incident, one Customs Inspector, Garuba, his Orderly, clinging his pistol on his trouser had showed up and ordered some of the visitors including the Journalists to relocate to an open space for easy Communication.
The Lagos based Journalist involved had requested to be allowed to go back to the PRO’s office but was turned down but eventually they found their way into the office, where another Journalist was also waiting to see him with his Magazine that contains reports on the Command.
Little did the Lagos based Journalist knew that the stage had been well prepared to be ridiculed by an office Assistant in the PRO’s office. On sighting the Lagos based Journalist return to the PRO’s office, the Civilian Assistant had reminded the Journalists of his earlier remarks that ‘’if the CAC, knew, he was around he would not hesitate but to invite him to his office but how far.
CSC Osca Ivara, and the Command spokesperson, who had spoken cautiously to void hurting the Lagos based Journalist who looked worried as the time was thickening out had advised him that if he is in such hurry to go, he should go back to the CAC’s office and fill the visitor’s form, stating reason of coming to see him but that was how far he could go.
The truth of the matter remains, that the Tin-can Island Area, Controller, may not have wanted to speak on the matter because the B’Odogwu facility is a centralized facility controlled from the Abuja, Customs Headquarters.
This is where DCG. KI Adeola, who oversees the Customs ICT/Modernisation Department may have to istep in to provide the necessary assistance and clarifications to importers with their agents requiring support on the recapture of declared cargoes and sourcing for SONCAP, without additional financial burden to their cargo clearing process.
