In a bid to ensure that the auctioning of seized goods is not compromised, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has set up auction committees at various commands across the country just as it barred officers of the Service and their family members from the bid process.
Confirming this to the media in Lagos, spokesman of the Tin Can Port Command, Uche Ejesieme, said that a circular has been issued from the customs headquarters to all commands for the constitution of the ‘auction committees’.
He also said that the online auction to be commenced by the Service is not open to customs officers and their family members.
Ejesieme said that the duty of the auction committees is to compile the list of cargo seized at their command and forward it to the headquarters.
He noted that since the auction process was stopped in 2015 with the exit of former NCS boss, Abdullahi Inde Dikko, some of the commands have been overflowing with seized cargo.
“A committee has been set up at all commands and have been asked to compile the consignments in their commands and send them to headquarters so that by the time they open the portal people would start to bid.
We want to ensure that what they are bidding for is actually on ground.
“Since 2015 that Dikko left, the action has been stopped and some of the commands would have been overflowing with seized consignments,” he said.
