The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area II Command, Onne Port said it generated a total of N81,196,697,858.57 in the third quarter of year, July to September 2019, surpassing the sum of N69,535,174,318.38 that was collected within the same period in 2018, with over N11,661,523,540.19.
The Command also recorded a total of 66 seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N865,926,821.00 within the period under review.
According to a statement signed by Ifeoma Ojekwu, public relations officer, Area II Command, Onne, Aliyu Galadima, Customs area controller of the command, attributed the success to increased deployment of tact, intelligence enforcement and technology in maximising compliance from port users.
The statement noted that Galadima was also vigorously pursuing the Customs’ management zero tolerance to duty evasion, smuggling and other infractions like under declaration.
The command has also been reviving proficiency in identifying and blocking all avenues of revenue leakages; enhancing capacity building in areas of modern Customs operations and reinforcing the commitment of officers in the discharge of their duties.
In terms of seizures, the command intercepted 12 x 20 feet containers comprising 13,180 jerry cans of 25 litres of vegetable oil with DPV of N82, 517,024.00; five by 20 feet containers comprising of 8,706 cartons of foreign soap worth N79,497,617.00; one by 20 feet and another one by 40 feet containers loaded with 57,300 pieces of matches, 59 cartons of matches, 1,300 sacks of shovel,100 cartons of hook knives, 172 sacks of diggers all amounting to N52,463,002.00.
Ojekwu said the command intercepted one by 40ft container loaded with scrap metals worth N5,386,979.00 and 41 x 20ft containers comprising of 181 bundles and 10,800 packs of corrugated aluminium roofing tiles/sheets and its accessories with DPV of N561,753,188.00;
“The command also seized one by 20ft container comprising of 315 bales of textiles (wax material) N18,495,395.00; 69 bags of imported rice and 329 bales of clothing amounting to N10,725,658.00. It also seized four by 20ft containers of 160 logs of hardwood with DPV of N10,342,838.00; one by 20ft container comprising of 588 cartons of battery, 18 cartons of rolls PVC, 80 bundles of plain cartons and 10 keys of gum worth N20,654,664.00,” she listed.
Meanwhile, the area controller stated that there would be continuous sensitisation for stakeholders on the need to be compliant with extant laws governing Customs activities, adding that the commands was always ready to facilitate trade in line with global best practices to compliant importers and their agents.
