By Godwin Oritse

GLOBAL SCANSYSTEM  Limited, one of the cargo inspection service providers is currently installing some of its scanning equipment at the Seme border barely two months to the end of the Cargo inspection services contract.

Global scansystem  is one of the three cargo scanning services provider contracted by the Federal Government about seven years ago.

The three service providers are expected to hand over the equipment to the Nigeria Customs Service for them to continue the scanning operationxs.

While Cotecna and SGS (foreign firms) have completed their part of the contract  long before now, the only Nigeria company is still struggling to install its fixed scanner.

The Chief Executive Officer of Globalscan, Mr. Fred Udechukwu was overhead telling somebody at the recently concluded public hearing on the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA( that the site for the installation of the equipment was only given to them in 2010.

He explained that it takes  about 36 months to install such gigantic and sensitive machines.

Udechukwu said, “ the machine   possesses additional features such as the Dataset Management System, the Remote Service System, Automatic Radioactive Material Detection System, Materials (Organic and Inorganic) discrimination and the ability to discriminate between different energy levels.

“The fixed scanner has the dual view capability, with three Review Image Workstations.”

He said that the board and management of the company were happy with the acquisition of the fixed scanner.

He said, with the acquisition of this multi-million dollar fixed scanner and its subsequent installation at Seme border post in October, the company would have fully met and exceeded the terms of the Destination Inspection contract.

Udechukwu said, “We are happy we have created jobs for over 200 Nigerians; transferred technology to Nigerian professionals and officers and men of the Nigerian Customs Service.

This is another gain on the present Federal Government’s Local Content initiatives.”

He said that the team was impressed with the high technology fixed scanner and Smith’s detection production and training facilities in its factories in France and Germany.

While Globalscan got lot 3 of the contract which comprises of  Seme border, Warri and Calabar ports, lot 2 went to SGS which also comprises of Port Harcourt main port, the Port Harcourt International airport, Onne port, Idiroko border and Ilorin airport.

For lot 1, which was contracted to Cotecna, the nation’s premier poer in Apapa in Lagos, the Tin-Can Island and the border town in Kano were allotted to it.

Destination Inspection (DI) scheme was introduced in January 2006 to replace Pre-shipment Inspection (PSI) which was phased out.

DI, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is fully responsible for the physical inspection of imports on arrival, valuation and classification.

As part of the NCS modernisation programme, the Federal Government appointed three scanner service providers namely SGS Scanning Nigeria Limited, Cotecna and Globalscan System. to supply x-ray scanning machines on a build, own, operate and transfer basis (BOOT) training services and technical support on risk management, valuation and classification.

The contract runs till December 2012, when ownership of the scanners is transferred to NCS and NCS Officers fully take charge.