Anti-Smuggling: Senate Orders Customs on Deployment of Modern Technology, Supply of Fuel to Border Stations
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The Senate Wednesday expressed anger over the decision of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) not to allow supply of fuel to stations close to the border stations.
Following this, the Senate ordered that such directive should be rescinded and fuel supply to affected areas resume.
The Senate also told the Comptroller-General of Customs, Rtd Col Hammed Ali to deploy use of modern technological devices in tracking movement of petroleum product to border towns.
The move is coming following outcry that a litre of fuel now sells fo N600 as a result of the decision of customs to stop supply of fuel to filling stations near border areas
The position of the Senate followed a motion by Senator Tolu Odebiyi titled “The need to revisit the suspension order placed on the supply of petroleum products to Border Towns by the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).”.
He pointed that a litre of petrol now sells for N600 as against N145 per litre in the border areas.
Odebiyi was supported by other senators who made their contributions on the issue.
The Senate asked the Customs to look for ways to reduce the sufferings of the people living around border areas as a result of the directive on closure of the borders.
According to the Senate, the Customs should identify filling stations around the border areas and monitor petroleum products supplied them.
Odebiyi noted that since the measure was introduced by the Customs, communities in border towns of Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Katsina and Sokoto states have been suffering a lot of economic hardship.
He described the order by the Customs as “ obsolete when compared to the array of technological solutions that can be explored to rid the country of the menace.”
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