Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Musa.

FRANCIS EZEM

The Nigeria Customs Service Tin Can Island Command has said it generated a total of N76.7billion revenue for the first quarter of 2018, despite the dwindling cargo volumes that characterise the early part of the year and also given the current economic realities in the country.

The command had in the comparative period of 2017 generated a total of N61.8billion, which represents an increase of N14.9billion or 24.1 per cent growth rate.

Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Comptroller Abdullahi Musa, who made the disclosure while delivering a paper entitled: “General Overview of the Command”, to the participants at the Senior Division Course 1 for 2018 both from the command and Staff College Gwagwalada led by the Commandant Assistant Comptroller General Charles Edike, which took place at the command.

He attributed this feat to the innovations and reforms that have enhanced the re-jigging and re-engineering of the consciousness of officers and men of the command towards enhancing efficiency and productivity in line with the statutory mandate of the service, saying that the figures would have been higher than that but for the migration to Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System NICIS II platform.

“In the narrative of revenue collection for 2017 and 2018, the command in the first quarter of 2017 (January – March) generated a total of N61.8billion whereas in the corresponding period of 2018, the command generated N76.7billion, which signifies a positive difference of N14.9billion.    “Though the first quarter of every year is usually synonymous with low volume of trade, the migration to NICIS II platform by the command also contributed to some hiccups that affected some declarations, but which we have surmounted”, the Controller said

He however reiterated the resolve of the command under his watch to ensure that adequate measures are put in place to enable the command be on top of its statutory mandate, stating categorically that the its concept and policy of continuous stakeholders’ engagement, training and re-training officers as well as trade facilitations models will continue to be leveraged on to enhance service delivery.

Musa, who resumed at the command about two months ago, also told the participants at the training that the command was making deliberate and concerted efforts towards ensuring that the policies and programmes of the command are tailored towards achieving enhanced efficiency, while promoting competitiveness in the trade value chain.

“The Tin Can Island Command is at the vanguard of the implementation of the Presidential directive on ease of doing business as the lead agency and has strengthened the existing relationship with other security and regulatory agencies for actualisation of the directive”, he also said.

The Controller had in a well-researched presentation, given an overview of the command highlighting the legal framework for the establishment of the Port in 1977 as well as comprehensive information and data about the activities and statutory mandate of the command.

Meanwhile, Commandant of the Customs Staff College, Gwagwalada, ACG Edike, had while speaking at the event, lauded the achievement of the command in the first quarter of 2018 when compared with same period in 2017 and expressed optimism that the CAC has all it takes in terms of capacity and integrity to take the command to enviable heights.

He told the command that the central theme for the tour was: “Enhancing the operational efficiency in Nigeria Customs Service” with emphasis on how the command contributes to realising same, adding that the visiting team would have expected the CAC’s presentation to capture administrative set-up of the command, import and export processes and procedures, automation and other operational tools, especially cargo examination, scanning, among others as well as major milestones, achievements in stakeholder’ relationships, challenges etc.