By Godwin Oritse
A retired Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Mr. Adenigba Fadahunsi has decried the frequent changes of managements of the Nigeria Customs Service, a development he said could stall the performance of the service.

Reacting to  last Tuesday arms seizure at the A P Moller Terminal in Apapa  port in Lagos, Fadahunsi noted that the frequent changes of Customs managements has robbed the service of experienced officers who were retired in their prime and at the time the service needed them most.

The retired senior officer also noted that there are a lot of redundant officers who ought to have been retired long before now, but are still in the service and adding no value.

He advised that with the young crop of officers in the service, all the government needs do is equip and train them well to meet the challenges of modern times.

He explained that  government can also use a well trained and equipped Customs to boost the already depleted foreign reserve by ensuring that all internally generated revenue are paid into government coffer.

He advised government to take a cue from the Nigeria Prison Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service who retire their officers as at when due adding that the interest of politicians in the management of the Customs Service has affected the growth and productivity of the organisation.

The former Customs boss who absorbed Customs of any blame in the arms interception noted that the arms were inspected before they left the country of origin adding that Customs only helps to facilitates trade.

He is of the opinion that Nigeria should send Customs attaches to the countries of loading with a view to preventing such dangerous cargoes from freighted to Nigeria.

His words :  “Until you have Customs attaches, like you have immigration attaches now, anybody  who wants passport or anybody who has immigration problems abroad, calls an immigration official abroad and get his problems solved wil also have naval attaches, so why not Customs attaches.

“Customs that is in charge of the economy does not have attaches in other countries, Customs is not inspecting the  fuel you import from abroad that is why you have all kinds of toxic fuel that do damage to your vehicles.

“You cannot see goods that are inimical to your welfare or to your security  and you allow them to go, you do not know whether your family will be affected

“The other time Cocain came into this country, it would have been very difficult for the scanner to detect the Cocain because the drug was packed inside the flooring of the container, you will know that there is need for Customs to be posted abroad to inspect these goods.

“There was no way any body could have detected the Cocain that was brought in by the Chinese a few months back because if you saw the way they packed that Cocain, it was padded in the floor of the container inside the wood and even if they put it under a scanner, it will pick the wood and not the powder  inside the wood”“Foreigners do not have the interest in the country, their interest is only in our money and they have freighting these monies away”.