....as the Command Rakes In N24.4B
In Half year 2025
By Bon Peters
The Zonal Coordinator Nigeria Customs
Service Zone C Headquarters Port Harcourt, ACG SK Dangladima has charged
the officers and men of the Akwa Ibom/Calabar Command of the Nigeria Customs
Service to always ensure Facilitation of legitimate trade, revenue
generation and suppress smuggling. .
ACG Dangladima gave the charge
Thursday at the customs Command in Calabar ,the Cross River State capital
during a two day working visit to the customs formations in Akwa Ibom and
Cross River States.
Speaking, the Customs Zone C, boss
emphasized the importance of his visit, even as he insisted that the
Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR has instructed all
the ACGs never to sit in office but to move round, feel the pulse of the
officers and men , interact with critical stakeholders , find out their
challenges in a view to fostering unity, collaboration and synergy among the
stakeholders in all their commands.
His Words; "Am here today, to
familiarize with you, interact with you and our stakeholders, feel your pulse
and discuss your challenges with a view to solving them”
Continuing, he reiterated the need
for synergy and collaboration among the officers and men with their
stakeholders noting that as Customs officers the main responsibility is to
facilitate legitimate trade, recover every revenue leakage, generate revenue
to the federal government and importantly suppress Smuggling.
The customs bigwig who also
emphasized the essence of interpersonal relationship, said officers and men
should imbibe the spirit of self discipline and mutual respect for one another
stressing that the image they portray before the public would go a long way in
putting the Service in a good or bad light.
On their promotion he reinstated
that the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR has zero
tolerance for examination results manipulation in relation to their promotion
as he has taken it upon himself to ensure transparency in the process.
“Management is the one that marked
your scripts, none of us, knows who owns the scripts he is marking"
"So when the promotion list is
out, you should take it the way you see it as it is a true reflection of what
you get " Dangladima admonished.
Continuing, he said "Let me be truthful
to you, the CGC is willing to promote our officers and men but you can't
be promoted at the same time."
According to him”promotion is from
God and if you didn't get it now, yours is on the way".
Earlier in his welcome address, the Customs
Area Controller, Comptroller CG Ogbonna has expressed satisfaction with the
ACG's visit insisting that the working visit was a morale booster for his
officers and men and also an avenue to interact with stakeholders.
Showcasing his successes, he said
the Command has recorded a significant achievement in Revenue generation,
Exports, and Suppression of smuggling.
On Revenue Generation, Comptroller
Ogbonna said his command has generated twenty-four billion, four hundred and
thirteen million, seven hundred and seventy thousand, sixty one naira (N24,
413,770,061.00) only in the first half of 2025, representing about 53% of the
2025 target.
This achievement according to
him "is attributed to effective synergy with critical stakeholders,
improved operational strategies and optimal enforcement of the extant
laws."
The breakdown of the revenue
generated was as follows: Tinapa Tourist and Resort FTZ: In 2023, was sixteen
million, six hundred and forty thousand, fifty-nine naira (N16,640,059.00)
only collected as revenue.
Comptroller Ogbonna noted that
"In 2024 when I took over as the Customs Area Controller (CAC), we
improved the revenue to two hundred and twenty-on million, four hundred
and forty thousand, two hundred and nine naira (N221, 440,209.00) only.
He described such a feat as a
magnificent increase compared to revenue collected in previous years.
On Exports, he said the Command
carried out exports of both non-oil and oil products during the period of
January to June 2025 and recorded a volume of forty-three thousand and
twenty-eight (43,028) packages & forty-two thousand (42,000) cartons of
various products which have been exported out of the country from the Export
Processing Zone, Calabar Free Trade Zone.
More so a volume of one million,
eight hundred and sixteen thousand, eight hundred and fifty-six (1,816,856)
cartons of various products have been exported out of the country from
Tinapa Tourist & Resort FTZ.
Additionally, Fifty-three million, eleven
thousand and twenty-one (53,011,021) barrels were lifted in fifty-four (54)
vessels according to Federal Government allocation from Qua-Iboe Terminal
(QIT), operated as a joint Venture between SEPLAT and NNPC/MPNU.
On Suppression of Smuggling, the Comptroller
hinted that”in our quest to suppress smuggling, the Command has made the
following remarkable interception/seizures:
"In March 2025, the Command at
the Mfum Border Station intercepted parts of animals discovered to be endangered
species which include Parrot heads (213 pcs), Parrots feathers (29 packs), African
Hornbill birds (128 pcs), chimpanzee heads (2 pcs), chimpanzee legs (4
pcs), Chimpanzee hands (4 pcs),
Eagle heads (5 pcs) and Eagle feathers (1 pack) alongside a suspect of which
the matter is still in court."
"In April 2025, also
"Sixty-five (65) Gallons of 25 liters each of PMS and 12 bales, 3 sacks of
second-hand clothing were intercepted and seized."
Still in April 2025, illicit
pharmaceutical products (659 units) were intercepted by the officers of the
Command and was later handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA) on Headquarters instruction"
The Comptroller went further to
posit that the Command also made a seizure of Pangolin scales (4 bags) weighing
(119.4kg) in June 2025; with two (2) suspects undergoing prosecution process,
even as he attributed the achievements through intelligence provided by the CIU
and effective border patrols by the customs gallant officers.
On Trade Facilitation, he noted
that the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) known as B' odogwu was
launched and is now operational in the Command. He insisted that as a
milestone, the Command’s first SGD was successfully captured, assessed and
payment made on 17 June, 2025 under 05CA, using the B' Odogwu system.
He described the introduction of
B'Odogwu as a significant step towards modernization and efficiency in the
clearance procedures while adding that both the officers of the Command and
Stakeholders have undergone a comprehensive training and sensitization, to
ensure effective utilization of the platform.
He promised his resolution and
commitment to optimizing the platform’s benefits to enhance the operations and
service delivery of his command.
To ensure discipline, Comptroller
Ogbonna stated that the Command has maintained a zero-tolerance policy
towards officer’s misconduct, corruption and substance abuse adding that it has
been a standard practice in his command that any officer found culpable
is made to face the appropriate disciplinary sanction.
For adherence to the CGC'S mandate
on Collaboration, Comptroller Ogbonna said his command as a member of the
State Security Council is working and collaborating with other security
agencies in the State such as the Military, Police, NSCDC, Immigration, the DSS
and others to combat trans-border crimes of smuggling and illegal migration, as
well as providing security in the State, even as he said in the area of
Corporate Social Responsibility the Command had drilled a borehole at
Ajassor Community, Etung LGA; serving the host community by providing clean
water for the community’s consumption.
He however, listed some of the
challenges facing the command to include: Under-utilization of Calabar Sea
Port, Port’s shallow channel and inability to accommodate large cargo
vessels which he said it is almost impossible for importers to bring
consignment through the port. Others are inconsistent power supply as
a result of bad public transformer and constant increase in electricity tariff.
He disclosed that the Command has
written to the Headquarters requesting for an urgent installation of
Transformer and installation of Solar System to reduce the use of public
electricity and increment of the monthly Electricity bill from Headquarters.
He said that the Cameroon Crisis has
resulted to instability and insecurity due to the persistent conflicts
between the Government of Cameroon and the Ambazonian separatist
creating a climate of fear and uncertainty in the region, thus impacting
negatively and disrupting trade flow between Cameroon and Nigeria particularly
in the affected border regions.
On the paucity of staff,he said the
shortage of officers is really affecting his command even as he noted that the
Command has only two (2) Deputy Comptrollers and three (3) Assistant
Comptrollers insisting that the command needs junior
officers.
Concluding, the Area Controller,
stated that his command has demonstrated remarkable performance in terms
of revenue collection, suppression of smuggling and trade facilitation
describing it as a testament of the dedication and hard work of the gallant
officers and men of the Command who are up and doing but regretted the
challenge of lack of junior officers which he said is badly affecting the
operational activities in the Command but was optimistic of junior staff
deployment even as he expressed gratitude and congratulations on behalf of the
command to the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC BA ADENIYI MFR dsm
fnipr psc(+) who was recently elevated as the Chairman of the World
Customs Organization (WCO) Council.
He described the achievement
as timely and deserving and expressed his belief
that CGC’s expertise and pragmatic leadership style in that
capacity would certainly improve the NCS’s efforts in facilitating trade,
enforcing regulations, and promoting national development.
In his contribution, the ANLCA
Calabar chapter chairman Dr Uche Ohaegbuchi has commended the ACG . SK
Dangladima on his visit. Ohaegbuchi who applauded the development said
Dangladima's visit has offered him and his members including other stakeholders
the opportunity for personal interaction with the Customs Zone C boss.
The ANLCA chieftain regretted the
state of the ITU /Calabar road and the shallow draft of the Calabar River which
he said has impacted negatively on clearing and Forwarding business, but he
however called on the relevant authorities to expedite action on construction
of the road as well as Dredging the River.
Commenting on the Comptroller
Ogbonna's performance since assumption of office, he said “I will score
Comptroller Ogbonna 80% . He has really done well in terms of stakeholders
engagement, Revenue generation and suppression of Smuggling."
He enjoined his members to be
patient and law abiding, noting that with ACG Dangladima's visit things will
improve for better.
Other places visited include Liberty
Oli and Gas Free Trade Zone Akwa Ibom state, Calabar Free Trade Zone,
Authority. Tinapa Business Resort among others. Present at the occasion include
representatives of Liberty Oil And Gas Free Trade Zone Authority, Mr Ashok
Suvarna and Mr Kumar, Director Nigeria Export Processing Zones Hajia Binta
Saeed represented Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authorities while Dr
Francis Ekom, Manager Tinapa Business Resort was equally present. Others
include representatives of MWUN, ANLCA bonded terminal Operators among
others.
