By Obiabin Onukwugha, Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Customs Service Apapa Area Command, says it has realised N676billion as revenue between January and August this year.
The NCS also stated that a total of N136billion was collected as monthly revenue during the month of August, while N10 billion was collected on August 3, making it the highest monthly and daily collections in the history of the NCS.
The NSC further informed that some of the seizures made within the period included N21.6 billion worth of tramadol packed in 720 cartons, containing 143.8 million units of 225 milligram tablets and weighing 10.3 tonnes.
Former Controller of the NSC Apapa command, Assistant Comptroller General Auwal Mohammed disclosed this, while handing over to his successor, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Lagos recently, Mohammed, stated that the command handed over 20 cartons of illicit drugs valued at N1.4 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Mohammed, who assumed office at the Customs headquarters as Assistant Comptroller-General (Technical Services), urged officers to continually prevent the smuggling or importation of prohibited items.
He attributed the successes recorded under his watch to teamwork, diligence, and zero tolerance for sharp practices.
“Teamwork, diligence and zero compromise assisted in several revenue and other operational successes that the command recorded under my watch. Apapa command collected its highest monthly and daily revenue in August 2023. A total of N136 billion was collected as monthly revenue in August while N10 billion was collected on August 3, being the highest monthly and daily collections in the history of the NCS,” he said.
On the use of technology for trade facilitation, he said the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS ll) depends on true and proper declaration to work well, adding that acts like false declaration accounts for most delays traders go through in the port.
The former Area Controller also said that the deployment of scanners has improved operations at the port, as an average of 120 containers are scanned daily as against the 50 that were hitherto examined.
He used the opportunity to thank the officers for the feats they achieved together while he was the Area Controller.