The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdulahi, has approved the closure of both NACHO and SACHOL warehouses at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The action is in exercise of the statutory powers of the Service as provided under section 145(1b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act, (CEMA).
Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Umar, in a statement signed by the Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Assistant Superintendent Thelma Williams, a copy of which was sent to SHIPS & PORTS DAILY, said that the action became necessary after several meetings and consultations held with stakeholders ended with no positive resolution.
The consultations, according to the CAC, failed to resolve the unexplained exit of goods without proper documentation, unexplained Customs release and evidence of payment of import duty and other statutory charges.
Umar added that agents’ non-compliance with Customs procedures and the attendant loss of revenue accruable to the Federal Government, national security implications, as well as what he described as un-conducive working environment in the warehouses militating against the effective discharge of duties of officers at the Command, necessitated the closure of the warehouses.
He said that the Command had no option than to invoke the provisions of sections 88, 96 and 98 (b) of CEMA and seal up the warehouses in order to ensure and enforce compliance.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.
