By Godwin Oritse

LAGOS – ELEVEN officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), serving at the PTML terminal  Command in Apapa, Lagos, have been summoned to Abuja, to answer questions over their roles in the protest that followed last week’s changes in cargo clearing procedures.

The officers, Vanguard gathered, instigated licensed customs agents to protest the change which has apparently put some of them at a disadvantaged position.

Confirming the development, the Customs spokesman, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, an Assistant Comptroller of Customs, said the officers were summoned to tell management what they know about the protest which led to the physical attack of the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Alhaji Dan Garuba Fuffi.

Adeniyi said “about 16 or 17 officers were summoned to headquarters with regard to last week’s protest at the PTML Customs Command in Apapa.”He explained that trouble started when the new CAC collapsed cargo releasing points to two and put an Assistant Comptroller and a Deputy Comptroller to sign documents clearing and releasing cargoes, a development that did not go down well with the agents and other stakeholders.

Efforts to get the names of the officers were futile as the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Steve Okonma, told Vanguard that the officers have returned to Lagos pending investigation into the matter.

It would be recalled that licensed agents at the Port and Multi-Purpose service Limited (PTML) last week clashed with management of the command over changes they described as  inhibiting trade facilitation

The rioting agents who locked the gates of the terminal for a few hours, barred  vehicles from coming in and going out.