Authorities of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) have been advised to intensify efforts towards ensuring total overhauling of the system through strict compliance to the operational techniques of their organisations.
The Social Integrity Network (SINET) in a statement issued on Monday commended Hameed Ali, the Comptroller General of Customs, and Osita Aboloma, the Director General of SON, for their strides in combating smuggling and influx of substandard goods into the country.
Mallam Ibrahim Isah, SINET National Coordinator, noted that, the organisation
was “glad that the NCS and SON have woken up to the clarion calls by Nigerians to fight smuggling and importation of substandard products to a standstill in order to create more opportunities and rapid economic recovery for the nation.
“The boarder closure has further confirmed the position of Nigeria as the giant of Africa and the effect is being felt positively by local manufacturers while the nation’s revenue generation has also improved tremendously.
“While smuggling and importation of substandard products have adverse effects on industrial productivity, jobs, bank loan obligations, it is also the major catalyst for the persisting insurgency and kidnapping among other social vices, paving ways for dangerous weapons in the country,” Isah said.
The SINET helmsman further stressed that the Customs should extend the war against smuggling beyond boarder protection and move to in-house smuggling conspiracy and connivance among officers, adding that any officer found wanton should be severely dealt with and jailed for committing g felonious act.
“We commend SON for apprehending a warehouse owned and operated by Prossy and closing down the business for not complying with the required standard. There is a need to do more in order to reduce the dastardly act to the barest minimum in order not to take the nation back by 50 years.
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