By Olubunmi ISIOPHKE, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Mohammed Airport Command, MMAC, has raked into the federal coffers over #74 .2 billion naira in ten months and intercepted contraband worth over #3billion naira.
This information was contained in a statement issued signed by the command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs Victor Ogagbor, and made available to GLOBAL RAYS Media.
The statement reads in part: “During the period under review January – October 2023, the Command collected revenue to the tune of Seventy four billion, two hundred and eighty six million, seven hundred and seven thousand, four hundred and forty three naira, one kobo.(₦ 74, 286, 707, 443.01k) Customs duty and other charges.”
Adding, “In comparison to the revenue collected same period in 2022 which stood at Sixty billion, fifty six million, one hundred and twenty five thousand, eight hundred and twenty three naira twenty nine kobo (₦60, 056, 125, 823.29k). This clearly shows a progressive difference of Fourteen billion, two hundred and thirty million, five hundred and eighty one thousand, six hundred and nineteen naira, seventy two kobo (₦14, 230, 581, 619,72k).”
Thus, ” Depicting a twenty three percent (23%) increase of collection. The Command so far has met 76.34% of its annual target.”
In his remarks, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Compt. Sanni Yusuf, said, “This was made possible as a result of resilience of officers and men in ensuring that agents were made to do proper declarations and to adhere strictly to importband export guidelines in tandem with extant laws.”
On anti-smuggling activities, the CAC, said, “Officers and men of Murtala Muhammed Airport Command are not resting on their oars in enforcing government fiscal policies and other trade guidelines.”
Compt. Yusuf, asserted, “The Command has intercepted unregistered pharmaceutical products suspected to be Tramadol tablets. The shipment was intercepted on the suspicion of exceeding the approved threshold by the Federal Government. The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood Three Billion, five hundred and fifty six million, eight hundred and two thousand, nine hundred and forty two naira, eighteen kobo (₦ 3,556, 802,942.18k).”
He added, “It has been scheduled for handing over to the appropriate government agency.”
In the area of stakeholder’s engagement, the CAC posited, “The Command has maintained its open-door policy and resolved a lot of issues of common interest with concerned stakeholders.”
He reiterated, “Let me also at this juncture thank our critical Stakeholders, Sister Agencies and the Media for their collaborative efforts and synergy while carrying out our statutory mandate in the state.”
However, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, used the opportunity to profoundly thank the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi (MFR) for providing an enabling environment as regards to the renovation in the Command. And also extended same gratitude to Officers and Men of Murtala Muhammed Airport for their unalloyed commitment, focusness and steadfastness in the discharge of their assigned responsibilities.
