Oyo, Osun Customs generates N8.8b

The Oyo/Osun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated N8.85 billion revenue between the month of January and June 2017.

 A statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Ifeoma Onuigbo explained that Controller of the command, Udo-Aka Emmanuel made the disclosure while giving report of the activities of the command within the period.

Udoaka stated that revenue generated from import and export during the period under review stood at N7.2 billion which is in contrast to the sum of N5.7billion generated within the same period in 2016 which showed an increase of N1.5 billion.

 He said the command also made 57 seizures of various items including textile materials, rice, foot wears, vehicles and bales of second hand clothing among others worth N103 million.

  A breakdown of the items seized include 33 vehicles with a Duty Paid Value of N3.3million, 500 cartons of imported frozen fish worth N3.3million and 250 cartons of imported frozen chicken with a DPV of N2.7million.

  Others are 55 jerry cans of 25 litres of foreign vegetable oil with a DPV of N757million, 477 pieces of retreaded Pneumatic tyres with a DPV of N2.8million and 16 bales of foreign textiles worth N3million.

In another development, the Customs Area controller of the Tincan Island Command Compt. Bashar Yusuf, has met in different sessions with the Officers in-charge of the Terminals as well as the Valuation personnel in the Terminals.

The series of meeting is part of the measures put in place by the command to remain a force to be reckon with in revenue collection with the customs and also to further reiterate his stand on zero tolerance for inappropriate examination of cargo, comparative analysis of declarations on the SGD (Single Goods Declaration) with the system declaration and appropriate valuation of goods to guide against transfer of value amongst others.

In his opening remarks, the Area Controller drew the attention of the sectional heads to the role of the Service in National development and the implications of failure to meet with expectations and its concomitant effect on the Economy of the Nation.

Compt.Yusuf reminded them that the Command was given a Revenue Target of 25.8billion a month, translating to 306.8billion in a year, which necessitated his directive for a daily target of at least 1billion.  He noted that the goals cannot be achieved without a practical commitment of all Officers/Men. 

 He then admonished terminal heads to ensure thorough system checks on declarations are carried out to identify goods which value may have been transferred for regularization.

 The Controller then directed that beyond the weekly target, the various terminals should also be placed on serious surveillance to ensure zero tolerance for any corrupt tendency.

In another occasion, the Controller, while declaring closed an ICT training in the Command charged participants to make integrity, professionalism and due diligence their watch word while stating that ICT is an enabler, he pointed out that the participants are expected to drive the process through a renewed commitment and vigor tailored towards raising the Revenue profile of the Command.  He noted that his passion for capacity building prompted him to establish the training centre which in future will serve the training needs of the Service and the WCO noting that whoever passes through the facility will have a comparative advantage of out-pacing their contemporaries in all aspects of 21^st Century Customs Operations.