By Ifeyinwa Obi

The Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), Seme Area Command has lost revenue worth N118,301,990.94 three weeks into the month of October 2010 from the importation of margarine and palm kernel nuts.

Its ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) unit treated 170 trucks of the goods.Also it was learnt that the command’s ETLS unit handled a total of 314 trucks of ETLS-compliant goods imported into Nigeria in September 2010 leading to N277,716,028.29 revenue loss recorded by the command in the ETLS transaction during the period.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Kura Maitama, said at a forum in Seme that the loss was owed not to negligence by the NCS, but to Nigeria’s ascension and adherence to the scheme.

He explained that the command has recorded seizures valued at N64,174,626.00 in September 2010.
The area comptroller stressed that the command had made about 25 seizures within three weeks of October 2010.

Maitama explained: “The increased rate of seizures has brought about a reduction in the rate of smuggling. This is a manifestation of the command’s zero tolerance for smuggling and we hope to sustain the tempo. It is important to note that the monthly DPV of the seizures made under my watch, remains the highest so far in the command for 2010.”

He said that the command was given a revenue target of N6 billion for 2010 by the Customs Headquarters, and as at September 30, 2010, it had collected a cumulative sum of N4,427,112,437.81.

Maitama added: “The amount collected in the month of September 2010, when compared with a similar period last year, will show an increase of about 30.56 per cent. Whereas the sum of N326,874.417.42 was collected as revenue in September 2010, the sum of N250,370,317.26 was collected as revenue for September 2009.

He revealed that by the third week of October 2010, the command had collected the sum of N198,166,065.28 as revenue, bringing the cumulative total collected for the year to N4,625,278,508.09.

On export, he disclosed that the command treated 117 trucks of exportable goods with freight on board (FOB) value of N722,850,954.08 in September 2010, and by the third week of October 2010, a total of 86 trucks of exportable goods with an FOB value of N424,585,261.75, were treated.

“Goods commonly exported through the command include bathroom slippers, plastics etc,” he said.
Maitama said: “Seme Border is the busiest border in Nigeria and also a major gateway to the West African sub-region” said: “Under my watch at this command, our relationship with our Beninoise counterpart has been further strengthened. So far, we have reached an advanced stage for the resuscitation of the Cross-border Security Meeting between Nigerian security agencies and their Beninoise counterparts.

“Also the relationship between this command with other security agencies in Nigeria and community leaders had been accentuated by regular meeting with them. We are compliant with extant import policies and the clearance of goods within 48 hours. In conjunction with other relevant agencies, we jointly conduct physical examination of goods to minimise clearance time”.

Acknowledging that the command’s performance had been greatly buoyed by Customs Comptroller-General Dikko Inde Abdullahi through the provision of welfare packages and basic logistics, Maitama noted that he was also fortunate to be working with very hard working, diligent and dedicated personnel.