Apapa Customs Controller Educates Visiting House Committee Members on Specific Roles of Govt Agencies at Ports
House Committee members and Customs officers during the visit today...
By Our Reporter
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulation on Tuesday visited the nation’s premier ports, Apapa, where they were enlightened on the specific roles of each government agency at the ports.
The Committee members led by the Chairman, Hon. David Idris Zachariah, had visited Apapa port for oversight function.
While at the port, the Committee members appeared to have misunderstood the different functions of the agencies at the ports.
This was when the Chairman of the Committee during the tour of the port terminal blamed the Nigeria Customs Service for allowing influx of substandard goods, particularly fake cables which he said were responsible for some fire incident in the country.
A report filed by Maritime Today online quoted the Committee Chairman apparently in his dismay saying, “Why do you allow all those substandard and fake items to come into the country? And you are here and gave an oath that you stand to defend Nigeria, your country. Are you truly defending Nigeria, your country while we have substandard fake cables that is ravaging the whole market in Nigeria. Why? Is it because those affected are not your brothers?”
In an apparent surprise, the Apapa Port Customs Command, Compt Emmanuel Oshoba, had to take time to educate members of the Committee on the distinct roles of government agencies at the seaports.
Stating that the Customs Service was committed to safety and compliance, Oshoba further said the Command has been intercepting prohibited goods.
He told the lawmakers that the professional assessment and quality control of cables and fake drugs was the responsibility of the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
He explained, “We have government agencies within every customs environment. For items that you mentioned, like cables, fake drugs and all the rest, we have SON, NDLEA and NAFDAC that take charge of these things.
“Customs as a federal government agency is charged with the responsibility of revenue collection, anti smuggling, trade facilitation and national security. ”
The Controller however said that the Command has recorded series of seizures of adulterated goods, adding that the issue of influc of fake goods in the country can be linked to the porous borders .
Oshobo said, “Most of this is due to our porous borders.. We have expansive, extensive borders that are porous.
“The CGC has reiterated this over and over, and any security agency in the country will tell you that’s part of the reason why we are having issues of insecurity because of our porous borders. So items like that cannot be excused from coming into the country. But as for Apapa Area command, we are not compliant to anything that is adverse or injurious to society or the national security, ”
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulation on Tuesday visited the nation’s premier ports, Apapa, where they were enlightened on the specific roles of each government agency at the ports.
The Committee members led by the Chairman, Hon. David Idris Zachariah, had visited Apapa port for oversight function.
While at the port, the Committee members appeared to have misunderstood the different functions of the agencies at the ports.
This was when the Chairman of the Committee during the tour of the port terminal blamed the Nigeria Customs Service for allowing influx of substandard goods, particularly fake cables which he said were responsible for some fire incident in the country.
A report filed by Maritime Today online quoted the Committee Chairman apparently in his dismay saying, “Why do you allow all those substandard and fake items to come into the country? And you are here and gave an oath that you stand to defend Nigeria, your country. Are you truly defending Nigeria, your country while we have substandard fake cables that is ravaging the whole market in Nigeria. Why? Is it because those affected are not your brothers?”
In an apparent surprise, the Apapa Port Customs Command, Compt Emmanuel Oshoba, had to take time to educate members of the Committee on the distinct roles of government agencies at the seaports.
Stating that the Customs Service was committed to safety and compliance, Oshoba further said the Command has been intercepting prohibited goods.
He told the lawmakers that the professional assessment and quality control of cables and fake drugs was the responsibility of the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
He explained, “We have government agencies within every customs environment. For items that you mentioned, like cables, fake drugs and all the rest, we have SON, NDLEA and NAFDAC that take charge of these things.
“Customs as a federal government agency is charged with the responsibility of revenue collection, anti smuggling, trade facilitation and national security. ”
The Controller however said that the Command has recorded series of seizures of adulterated goods, adding that the issue of influc of fake goods in the country can be linked to the porous borders .
Oshobo said, “Most of this is due to our porous borders.. We have expansive, extensive borders that are porous.
“The CGC has reiterated this over and over, and any security agency in the country will tell you that’s part of the reason why we are having issues of insecurity because of our porous borders. So items like that cannot be excused from coming into the country. But as for Apapa Area command, we are not compliant to anything that is adverse or injurious to society or the national security, ”
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