By Godfrey Bivbere

The Eastern Marine Command, EMC, of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Port Harcourt has impounded a  vessel, MT African Beauty, for operating with expired documents (Temporary Importation, TI, permit) in Warri, Delta State.

Customs CG, Hameed Ali

The EMC has been beaming its search light on operations of ship owners because most of them are believed to be operating with either expired TI permit or without any at all.

Comptroller Usman Bello, Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command, who ordered the detention of the vessel, directed the owners of the vessel MT African Beauty to immediately obtain a fresh Temporary Import permit from customs headquarters to enable them continue with their business.

Bello noted that TI permit was given to ship-owners by the NCS to operate their vessels for a specified period of time under bond granted by banks on Nigerian waters.

Bello explained that upon expiration, such vessel was expected to go back to its country of origin but if it needed to continue operation because it has not finished its job, it was demanded that the ship-owner report back to customs to be issued another TI extension.

According to him, “What we found out is that some vessel owners keep their operations running without recourse to the rules of the game as without permit it is illegal and will not be condoned anymore.”

He also revealed that some even remain in operations for years without the Home Use Permit or payment of any duty to the Nigeria Customs Service.