Contrary to reports alleging that the mobile scanner installed at Seme border post by Global Scan system Limited, an indigenous destination inspection service provider, is not operational, BusinessDay findings have shown that the scanners are operating effectively.
Global Scan systems in September 2005 entered into a seven-year contract with the Federal Government together with two other companies to provide destination inspection (DI) services at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Seme border, Warri and Calabar seaports on the build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis and issued risk assessment result to importers through an efficient risk management system with the Nigerian Customs Services ASYCUDA.
When BusinessDay visited the Global Scan system scanning site on Wednesday at the Seme border to ascertain the condition of mobile and fixed scanners in the light of the reports, it was discovered that the Smiths Heimann mobile scanner, which is currently operational, is underutilised while the fixed scanner, which has been fully installed, will commence operations by Friday this week after the final assessment by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).
Hassan Adeogun, general manager, Seme site operations, who took our correspondent round the huge investment the company has in Seme in line with the DI contract agreement, said that from May 2 till May 28, 2013, the mobile scanner which has the capacity to scan 480 trucks per day within three shifts, had effectively scanned about 446 trucks.
According to him, the company invested over 12.5 million Euros (N2 billion) to acquire both the latest model of HCV mobile and fixed scanners to ensure that it does not take more than five minutes to scan a truck provided proper documentation has been made by the agents, but the scanners have remained underutilised.
“Given the security situation in the country, all trucks passing through the land border are supposed to be scanned to ensure that dangerous imports like arms and ammunitions are not brought into the country, but it is only the trucks that are allocated to us by officers of Nigerian Customs that we can”, he explained.
Examining the service delivery by the Global Scan system, Tony Nwabunike, a freight forwarder, told our correspondent that service providers in the port especially the Global Scan system are doing a great job in facilitating trade in accordance with the contract it entered into with Federal Government.
“The scanning machines, which are of international standards, are working and we are impressed with their service delivery. This is why we urge the government to give indigenous companies like Global Scan greater opportunities in the future”.
