The controversies rocking the Nigeria seaports over the constitutional assignment of the Nigeria Customs on destination duties and further claims that the Nigeria customs is not ready to take over destination duties, by the Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonji Iweala has raised doubt amongst the tax paying Nigerians. Premised on the development, the National Coordinator of Coalition of Civil Society Group for Transparency and Good Governance (CCSGTGG) launches an independent facts finding mission to all the Nigeria seaports to ascertain if the Nigeria customs is ready to take over destination duties at the Nigeria sea ports.
The team which arrive Port Harcourt from Abuja on Monday 1st July, 2013 led by the National Coordinator of CCSGTGG, Comr. Ali Abacha accompany by the General Secretary, Amb. (Engr.) Muhammed N. B Ahmed and the Publicity Secretary, Babanugri Suleiman with Chief Gilbert Olokesusi and the South-South Youth Leader, Comr. Andrew Dima aka Bebeto and Rose Chinda kick off to the south-south zonal commands of the Nigeria custom with media crew led by Comr. Alapakabia Tobin were on hand to ascertain the readiness of the Nigeria custom to take over destination duties at the Nigeria seaports.
On arrival at the Onne seaports, comptroller Mohammed M. U accompanied by his deputy incharge of Oil and Gas Sector, Comptroller Ekon E. E. took the team round the various departments and units including the scanning unit which has the global scan that can scan more than 500 consignments within few days. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) and already trained and retrained officers of the command internationally and locally were already in their areas of specialization before the visit and declared their readiness to take over destination duties at the wharf.
The comptroller when briefing the media crew said, “As far as the command is concerned we are 24 hours ready to take over destination duties of the wharf and already our officers have been trained and retrained internationally and locally in different capacity. And as I am speaking to you right now, when you visit the departments you will sea our people in various specialized department waiting to discharge our professionality for the improvement of our Nigeria sea ports. And as a comptroller of the command, I am using this medium to inform the Federal Government that we are very much ready to take over destination duties at the Nigeria sea ports and increase revenue to atleast 40% of our past revenue remission to the Federal Government for instance, we have improve from N7b and above to N14b and above through training and retraining of our officers. And if today the Federal Government order the customs to take over duty in the next 24 hours, we ever ready. The comptroller said.
The team also visited Port Harcourt area 1, Nigeria Ports Authority, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa Commands. The comptroller of Port Harcourt area 1, comptroller Kuffi D. G incharge of Nigeria ports authority Port Harcourt receiving the team in his office led them to various units to demonstrate the readiness of the Nigeria customs to take over destination duties to support the claims by his counterpart at area II Onne command, thanked the team for a job well done and described the visit as a welcome development. He further stated that more than 90 of the Nigeria wharf destination duties are done by the Nigeria custom and affirmed the readiness of the Nigeria custom to take over destination duty at the Nigeria sea ports.
The team also visited Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom states command and was received by the command by the deputy comptroller. Amaka E. who represented the comptroller, Amaka E. representing the comptroller of the command, Legg-Jack E. led the team to the wharf and the scanning unit and later proceeded with the team to TINAPA, the world trade centre and thanked the team for job well done after declaring the readiness of the command to take over destination duties at the Nigeria sea ports. Edo, Delta command, did same like their counterparts.
However, the national coordinator of CCSGTGG when briefing the press said the primary aim of the visit to all the Nigeria sea ports is to provide vivid evidence on the proposed legal action against the finance minister Mrs. Ngozi Okonji Eweala for extension of six months declaring that the Nigeria custom is not ready to take over destination duties at the Nigeria sea ports which contradicted the report of the central back of Nigeria (CBN) on the yearning of tax paying Nigerians over billions of naira spent by the federal government to agents or training of customs officers.
