Customs Consultative C’tte visits Zone ‘A` FOU
… Reiterates commitment to facilitating legitimate trade
The Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) has reiterated its commitment facilitating legitimate trade.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) last Thursday, Chairman of the Committee, Assistant Comptroller- General Victor Gbemudu, said that the purpose of the visit is to parley with the Controller and other personnel of the unit, in order to help address complaints raised by the trading public on why operatives of the unit still intercept consignments that have exited the ports, among other issues.
Represented by the CCC Secretary, and a chieftain of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Sir Jude Maduka, Gbemudu, who is Zonal Coordinator, NCS Zone ‘A’, noted that, for genuine trade to be facilitated, the trading public needs to be enlightened.
“The traders have issues which they really need to streamline with us.
Most times you find out that goods cleared from the ports are being intercepted outside the ports. And sometimes, even when these goods get to the market, Customs still intercepts them. That is why we decided to bring it to FOU, being the enforcement unit, of Customs to see how these issues could be addressed and enlighten the traders,” Gbemudu stated.
Responding, Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Unit, Comptroller Isa Nuhu, who is also a member of the CCC, commended the Committee’s effort in sensitising the trading public on.
Nuhu, who said he had barely spent days in office, however, appealed that the meeting be rescheduled, as, according to him, he is still familiarising himself with the nitty-gritty of the Unit.
To be in a better position to respond to the issues that will be raised, I need to familiarise myself with this terrain, because I have not worked in FOU before. If we do the meeting now, I will be talking like someone who has experience in Customs, and not from the point of view of someone who has enough experience in FOU,” he said.
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