By Tony Nzekwe
The Zonal Coordinator, Nigeria Customs Service Zone C, Headquarters Port Harcourt Rivers state, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG ) Sambo K Dangladima has charged the officers and Men of Nigeria Customs Service Port Harcourt Area 11, Command Onne to always uphold discipline and create robust legitimate trade facilitation
The ACG disclosed this information on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital during an official working visit to Onne Customs Command as part of his familiarization tour of all the commands in Zone C.
ACG Dangaladima asserted, “The core mandate of the Nigeria Customs service is to collect revenue, facilitate trade and suppress smuggling.”
The zonal coordinator, added, “Customs officers should ensure that legitimate trade is facilitated and all customs brokers or agents should avoid wrong declaration or any action capable of distort the seamless cargo documentation and clearance at the port. ”
On staff training, the ACG noted that going forward, promotion would be based on improvement on staff educational qualification.
His words: ” I advise you to go for Junior or Senior courses at Gwagwalada to improve yourself, henceforth Promotion will be based on merit as Customs is in a new era and for you to be promoted you must have passed through your junior or Senior courses at Gwagwalada. “
On the movement of containers to Bonded terminals, he emphasized that containers on transire should be escorted to their destinations without diversion while insisting that Containers should not be delayed.
ACG Dangaladima posited, “Containers on transire should be escorted and make sure they reach their destinations. Please don’t delay containers . Work together and be your brother’s keeper. ”
Seaking on the inter-agency collaboration, he said, “Other agencies involved in the examination and release of containers should be handy at all time to avoid unnecessary delays and ensure that containers are released in good time.”
However, the ACG scored the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt Area 11, Command Onne, Comptroller, Mohammed Babandede high on revenue generation urging the stakeholders to assist in making sure that Onne achieves its revenue target for the year 2025.
ACG, Dangladima used the opportunity to thank the Comptroller General of Customs,Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR for his leadership qualities and innovative drives that has spurred the officers and men of Zone C to a greater achievement especially at Onne.
His words: “You know our Comptroller General of Customs is a thorough breed and highly acticulative Customs officer who knows the customs work in and out having worked with five past Comptroller Generals of Customs
and we are truly happy and glad to have him as our CGC. We should emulate his discipline,hard work, dedication and transparency in all your daily activities.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Onne, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, has expressed satisfaction for the ACG Dangladima’s visit to the command.
He noted that such has offered him an opportunity to interact with him and bring to his knowledge some of the challenges facing the command.
The CAC said, ” In the area of revenue generation, Onne Customs Area command is doing very well and hope to achieve its 2025 Revenue Target.”
On Trade Facilitation, Compt Babandede, said, ” The command has also done well and intercepted mind- blowing seizures that would be made public soon.”
On challenges confronting the command, the CAC said, “The newly introduced B’odogwu platform has been having migration issues from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) to B’odogwu most of the time as a result of Network failure.”
Adding, “The issue of accommodation and operational logistics are also there.”
In his response the ACG promised to look into the challenges, take them up at the Zonal level for the ones that can be solved here, and also report back to the Comptroller General of Customs the ones that can be handled at the headquarters.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the representatives of ANLCA and NDLEA .
In his remarks, the DC incharge of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, DC James Bada, extolled the good working relationship between his agency and Onne Customs command.
He applauded Comptroller Babandede for his leadership style of inclusiveness especially with other sister agencies .
DC Bada added that such working relationship would continue for the betterment of the two agencies and Nigeria at large.
However, the working visit also took the ACG Dangladima to the Oil And Gas Free Trade Zone Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, where the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Compt Immaculata Nyong, represented by DC Sunday Chukwu, harped on due process and compliance with the fiscal policy of the federal government in accordance with the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR policy thrust hinged on Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation.
Present at the event, include
Comptroller Zonal Administration Bodunde FA, Comptroller CC Dim of Eastern Marine Command, Comptroller BA Balogun, Comptroller FOU Zone C, Owerri, Comptroller MO Omisore of PCA,
ANLCA,NAGAFF,APFFLON Bonded terminal Operators, critical stakeholders at the Port among others.
