…Emphasises sustenance of diligent cargo examination
By Ezurike Ugochukwu
The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Sunday announced that it has collected a total of N152, 648,517,532.05 between January and June 2024.
It said the said amount represents 49.7 per cent increase above the N101, 981,098,502.07 collected same period of 2023 which was specifically increase of N50, 667,419,029.98.
Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Tenny Daniyan commended his men for their diligence and exhibition of responsibility and higher level of security consciousness in the course of handling import or export cargo passing through the command.
In a release on Sunday signed by CSC Yakubu Muhammad,Public Relation Officer(PRO) of the Command, Daniyan, expressed confidence that the command will generate more revenue in the second half of the year, also charged officers to sustain the precedence of diligent cargo examination.
Reiterating the recent charge of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR on all officers to shun any form of compromise in the discharge of their duties, Daniyan further cautioned terminal operators, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and all stakeholders in the port system to keep themselves abreast with import and export prohibition directives.
The CAC who reiterated that the two hour cargo clearance time for compliant roll-on roll-off(RoRo) cargoes is still in place as the command is stepping up on trade facilitation in line with the time release study thrust of the CGC.
Comptroller Daniyan also advised terminal operators, importers, exporters, licensed customs agents , freight forwarders and all stakeholders in the port system to keep themselves abreast with government import and export prohibition directive.
On recent arms, ammunition and illicit drug discoveries in some other commands across the country, the PTML customs boss warned that no one found to be involved in such illegal activities will be spared from the wrath of law.
He further stated, “I want to urge all customs officers in PTML to always insist on cargo examination like we have always done. You are hereby placed on red alert to keep doing the right thing as importers of arms, ammunition and illicit drugs have shown more desperation in recent times
” Let us continue to make PTML a no go area for perpetrators of such illegalities and be ready to make seizures of such items including effecting arrests of persons suspected to be involved with such activities
“I strongly believe we will do more with revenue collection and trade facilitation in the second half of 2024 as we continually improve on our level of service delivery and diligent implementation of all government directives.
“We are not going to sacrifice national security on the altar of trade facilitation. Both will run side by side. None will suffer for the other” Comptroller Daniyan said