Condemnation Trails Customs Order on Pre-examination Before Movement of Containers to Kaduna Dry Port, Others
*It is a military fashion out of tune with global trends – stakeholders
*Circular suggests customs officers in other locations not competent
• Request NA, VP to intervene
By Francis Ugwoke
Stakeholders have condemned the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for ordering a pre-examination of all containers destined for Kaduna Inland dry port and others before they are taken out of the seaports.
The Nigeria Customs Service had ordered for unsealing of all containers destined for Inland Container terminals.
It had mentioned Kaduna dry port which enjoys the Port of Destination and Origin status and Kano inland container terminal as among the container terminals.
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Reacting to the development, stakeholders described the directive as simply a contradiction of the Port of Destination and Origin status granted the Kaduna dry port by the federal government.
The Port Manager of the Kaduna dry port, Mr Rotimi Raimi who said his organization was surprised about the development described the measure as against the principle of transit trade.
Other stakeholders argued that Kaduna dry port and any other port that may be accorded the Port of Destination and Origin status approved by the federal government should not have their containers pre-examined before movement.
In a Whatsapp group comments one of the stakeholders said, “It is sad that Nigerian Executives continue to act in Military Fashion through blanket judgements and issuance of arbitrary orders without due regards to global trends and expectations on good governance. We are operating under coordination by an Agency of the Federal Government, the Nigerian Shippers Council and if any other Federal Government Agency has any issues with our operations, we trust the only fair way to go is to involve that Agency. The first Circular requires all sealed motor vehicles marts to settle issues of appropriate Duty Payments at the individual zonal headquarters. This is not good for the Nigeria Customs as it suggests their officers in other locations are either not competent or trustworthy to handle. In addition it will cause undue hardship to affected persons and Nigerian as a whole”.
“On Circular number 009 which requires all sealed containers to be broken and the contents inspected at the Sea Ports of first arrival and after ascertaining their correctness, reseal them and send them to the intended bonded Terminal with escorts. We believe this will cause further undue transfer delays at the Sea Ports and more importantly open the cargo to pilferage at the Sea Ports as we have seen what is trending in the social media.
“We have seen wanton pilferages of uncleared cargos and that is making our Sea Ports unsafe and may soon be so classified by the IMO/UNCTAD. More disturbing is that this development has sent wrong signals to our foreign partners to the effect that their investments are unsafe as the Government Agencies are still in the habit of blanket judgements and issuing arbitrary orders. The Nigeria Customs is telling us that they are not competent to address issues on their individual merits. The innocent should not just be subjected to undue punishment because the regulators are lacking in capacity to fish out and punish erring parties. We respect the CGC of Customs, Col Hamid Ali and trust him as an honest person, but he must be a fair judge. Consult appropriately, obtain professional advice on how to tackle individual challenges which never abate even in the very developed world in UK or USA etc”.
The stakeholders who called on the CGC to rescind his decision also urged the National Assembly to take appropriate steps to protect the innocent and ensure continuing enthronement of good governance at all levels in our polity.
According to another stakeholder “The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council PEBEC under the Chairmanship of His Excellency, Vice President of the Federal Republic, Professor Yomi Osinbanjo GCON should also act very quickly as the World Bank may view this negatively and it may affect our future rating by them.
“I also wish to call on President Muhammad Buhari GCFR to cause the Minister of Transportation to declare Dala Inland Dry Port Kano as Port of Origin and Destination as the ultimate remedy to all challenges on Customs operations”.
In the circular dated October 22 and sent to all Area Controllers, Zonal Coordinators, the Service said all containers meant for transfer to inland container terminals must be unsealed and examined before their movement.
The memo said the exercise was “in order to curb this illegality”.
Signed by the Asst. Comptroller General (Headquarters), Mr AOB Fatade, for the Comptroller-General, the memo claimed that the pre-examination was because the “current practice of non-examination of foreign cargoes destined for inland Container Terminals (Kaduna and Kano) have been largely influenced by illicit activities”.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on the occasion of the commissioning of the Kaduna dry port challenged the Customs not to constitute any form of bureaucracy so that dry ports could succeed.
.He said, “ It remains for Customs and Ports officials to make these facilities work and not to frustrate business, commercial and industrial enterprises with unnecessary bureaucracy and inflicting on them delays and hardships, thereby defeating the object of the whole exercise as has happened in the past. Make these facilities work this time”.
Buhari added,
“I am delighted to be here for the commissioning of yet another important transport infrastructure – the Kaduna Inland Dry Port which is the first proper Inland Dry Port to be completed among the seven earmarked for various parts of the country.
2. The hinterland business community has waited for too long for such facility that has tremendous potentials to ease the way of doing international business for the interior based importers and exporters.
3. The Development of Inland Dry Ports is an important factor in our economic development efforts. As Ports of origin for exports and ports of destination for imports, the Inland Dry Ports will accelerate the implementation of our economic diversification policy.
4. The concept of Inland Dry Port has gained widespread importance with the tremendous changes in international transportation as a result of the container revolution and the introduction of door-to-door delivery of cargo. It provides importers and exporters located within the nation’s hinterland, especially industrial and commercial outfits, access to shipping and port services without necessarily visiting the seaports.
5. It also enables them to process clearance of their import cargo and take delivery of their raw materials and machinery close to their places of business. Furthermore, the Inland Dry Ports will also provide our exporters the much needed facilities to process, package, consolidate and forward their exports to their customers all over the world without having to physically be at the seaports.
6. This replicates the port economy in the various centres where the Dry Ports are located inland thereby generating employment and contributing to the ease of doing business.
7. It remains for Customs and Ports officials to make these facilities work and not to frustrate business, commercial and industrial enterprises with unnecessary bureaucracy and inflicting on them delays and hardships, thereby defeating the object of the whole exercise as has happened in the past. Make these facilities work this time.
8. I congratulate the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Nigerian Shippers’ Council and indeed the hinterland importers and exporters on this epoch making occasion.
9. In addition to the Kaduna Inland Dry Port, six other Inland Dry Ports in Ibadan, Aba, Kano, Jos, Funtua and Maiduguri, which have also been gazetted, are at various stages of completion.
10. I commend the initiative of Nigerian Shippers’ Council towards promoting the provision of these modern transport infrastructural facilities and urge the Concessionaires of the other six Dry Ports to emulate the Concessionaires of the Kaduna Dry Port by accelerating work on theirs so that, in the next few months, they too can be commissioned.
11. With the full complement of the seven Dry Ports, congestion at the seaport and traffic gridlock in the port complex will be eliminated. Consequently, the cost of transportation and therefore cost of doing business will be reduced.
12. I also want to commend the Government of Kaduna State for facilitating the establishment of Kaduna Inland Dry Port. The provision of access roads and other utilities to the Dry Port by the Kaduna State Government is worthy of emulation by the other Dry Ports host State Governments.
12. I urge all relevant stakeholders, across the public and private sectors, particularly Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Shipping Companies and Agencies, Seaport Terminal Operators, Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Road Haulers and importers and exporters to utilize this facility optimally”.
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