The Jigawa and Delta state governments have abandoned 50 containers of tricycles (Keke NAPEP) and 20 containers of building equipment at the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, the Nigeria Customs Service has said.
The Acting Assistant Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service in charge of Zone A, Comptroller Charles Edike, said this during a visit to the terminal which is used as a warehouse for overtime cargoes.
Edike said, “The 50 containers of tricycles belong to the Jigawa State Government while 20 containers containing building equipment belong to the Delta State Government.
“There are also a lot of containers loaded with electricity equipment lying un-cleared at the terminal; they belong to the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria. These containers were deployed there from the ports.”
He added that the companies that took over the assets and liabilities of the defunct PHCN must remove the abandoned imported electricity equipment from ILT by December 31, 2015 or forfeit them to the Federal Government.
He said, “The relevant agencies must remove the overtime consignments before December 31 or forfeit them to the Federal Government. We have a directive from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), to decongest the terminal of overtime containers.
“It is therefore obligatory on all officers, including myself, to support the CG to achieve his policy thrust, anchored on transparency, honesty and integrity.
“To enable the owners to clear the goods from the terminal, the NCS has also reduced charges. We are pleading with them to take delivery of the goods and use them for the benefit of Nigerians.”
Edike also said that the NCS had auctioned the goods to the owners which they had refused to remove from the terminal. Some of the containers were said to have been transferred to the terminal between 2011 and 2015.
This would not be the first time that the service has had to call on state governments and other government agencies who have abandoned their goods at the ports to claim them.
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