By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service, Area II Command, Onne Port, Rivers State generated over N13.11 billion in September, making it the highest in 37 years of custom’s operations in the port.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Ojekwu, on Friday.
The Controller of the command, Mr Auwal Mohammed, was quoted saying that the command generated the revenue by putting in place robust mechanisms to reduce smuggling and duty evasion in the port.
“The over N13.11 billion generated in the month of September is the first-month scorecard of the Customs Area II Command, Onne Port since I took office on September 1.
“The revenue generation is the highest monthly revenue generated in the command since the command’s creation over 37 years ago.
“In addition, the feat is a combination of efforts by my very diligent officers and men, who are unrelenting in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
Mr Mohammed said the command recorded the feat by processing a total of 18,085 metric tonnes of export activities within the period.
“The area command handled export activities with Free On-Board (FOB) with a value of 6.441 million dollars (N2.944 billion) while N10.595 million was collected as Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) fees.
“Also, in anti-smuggling activities, the command seized 13 containers containing 400 bundles of used tyres, 100 pieces of motor radiators and 264 logs of raw hard wood.
“Others are 100 pieces of car fans and four units of bed trailer trucks with total Duty Paid Value of N99.917 million in September,” Mr Mohammed said.
The controller assured that efforts would be redoubled to surpass the feat.
According to him, the command is focused on purging all forms of leakages in the port to further generate more revenue for the Federal Government.
“Where shortfalls are detected, I will ensure uncompromising recovery through Demand Notice to prevent revenue losses.
“We will continue to make this command a no go area for perpetrators of smuggling, concealment, duty evasion and other forms of illegality.
“We will achieve this by seizing all illegally imported and prohibited goods; arrest the perpetrators and prosecute them in accordance with the Customs and Excise Management Act,” he added.
The Area Comptroller assured the handover of suspects whose offences fall under the purview of other government regulatory and enforcement agencies for investigation.
According to him, the command has recently met with all relevant government agencies in the state to partner and ensure inter-agency cooperation among them.
Modupe Gbadeyanka