The Onne Port Area 11 Command of Nigeria Customs Service in Rivers State says it collected a total of N58,059,198,130:33 for the first quarter of this 2022.
The Command made this public in a statement in Port Harcourt, by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Onuigbo Ojekwu.
The collected figure according to her is N19,181,883,844:21 higher than N38,877,314,286:12 collected within the first quarter of 2021 with an increase of 49.3 percent.
On anti smuggling, the command made a total of nine seizures worth a duty paid value of N59,490,705
Breakdown of the items seized shows 18,555 pairs of footwear worth N26,507,042; 270 pieces of machinery and parts worth N2,211,753; 3,825 pieces of used tyres worth N26,215,230 and 8 bags of rice worth N171,961.
Other seizures included 555 cartons of soap and foreign detergent worth N2,709,254; 3 bales of textile fabrics worth N250,377 and 72 cartons of tomato paste worth N1,425,103.
On export, the command processed 320,245.34 metric tonnes of cargo with a free onboard value of N109,486,146,056.48.
List of exported items included sesame seed,ginger, hibiscus, fluoride ore, lead ore, palm kernel shell, cotton, float glass, aluminium, ingot and urea.
More exported items were food stuff, columbite ore, cashew nuts, tin ore, printed sack and others
Speaking on the achievement,Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Auwal Mohammed, who described the feat as work in progress, expressed optimism that the command total collection for the year would surpass that of last year even as he urged stakeholders and port users in Onne to continually improve on their level of compliance which is lawful, saves time and enhances overall port productivity.
The CAC commended the support and encouragement received from other government agencies which he described as highly invaluable while urging everyone to always be law abiding, Comptroller Auwal Mohammed reminded them of various resolutions and take home points from stakeholders meetings devising them to brace up for the non intrusive inspection( NII) regime which will de-emphasize human contacts in the cargo clearing process and maximise technology for economic and security advantages.
On the revenue generated, Comptroller Auwal Mohammed said ” Our first quarter revenue collection for 2022 is a reflection of dedication to duty and non compromise by our officers. Maximising our potentials for revenue collection through interventions and issuance of demand notices (DN) have contributed to this achievement
“What we have achieved so far is commendable but we must not be carried away by either relaxing or being complacent. I believe we can do more in the months ahead.
“It is part of the Comptroller General of Customs mandate to raise revenue and we will remain focused at achieving it without compromising national security by ensuring that no cargo exits Onne Port without due examination and duty payment
“So far , I have enjoyed excellent relationship with sister agencies like the Nigerian Navy, Department of State Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control and many others
” I urge all of us to embrace the reality of modern trade thrust in ports which emphasise a reduction in human contacts and maximum deployment of technology. The NCS management is taking further steps to actualise this as reflected in the recent stakeholders sensitisation meeting on Non Intrusive Inspection (NII) carried out by the ICT and Modernisation department.
“Together, let’s make Onne Port a highly compliant area and together ensure that perpetrators of any form of illegality like smuggling, concealments, duty evasion, false declaration , under valuation and other vices do not succeed here” he concluded.
