The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has bemoaned the inefficiency of terminal operations to provide necessary handling equipment at their various terminals which is now landing its officers and men in trouble.
The service said that such development is posing a lot of challenges for its men to carry out clearing processes and that also put them in trouble most times.
This was stated by the Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos Mahmud Haruna during the working visit of the new Assistant Comptroller General in charge of the zone, Monday Abuah to the unit yesterday.
The Controller said “we have many challenges, we are faced with many hardships. The scanners are not working, most of the terminal operators don’t have forklifts and other equipment and they want us to clear within 48 hours.
“They mount pressure on officers so much that they hardly do 100% examination”, he said.
He, however, called on officers of the service, to walk away if there are no facilities on ground to perform 100% examination.
The CAC said “if it takes one month or more time. Importers fail to declare exactly what they have in their consignments. When there is a problem, the officer is sacked and nothing happens to the agent, importer or shipping agencies.”
The ACG, while speaking to the officers, enjoined them not to lose sight of functions of the unit which according to him include detention, seizure of contraband goods, adding that they should not engage themselves in bad practices.
Abuah added that officers should do their due diligence in accompanying culprits with seizures so as to make their case files complete.
