Against the backdrop of the ban on importation of some commodities through the land borders into the country, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to review its policies by giving it a human face so as to reduce the hardships faced by border communities.
Tambuwal stated this on Monday when he received the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hamid Ali who led a team on a visit to Sokoto Government House.
“I’m sure you know how tough things are in the country. So I appeal to you to always implement policies with human face. If certain policies are introduced that will take a vast majority of people out of jobs, I appeal to you to consider introducing palliatives to mitigate the effect of the hardship they will face,” the governor said.
On the ban on importation of rice through land borders, Tambuwal urged the customs to be flexible.
He said, “Before we become self-sufficient in rice production, I urge you to show some flexibility in the policy.”
While insisting that the long term benefit of the policy is not in doubt, Tambuwal said since many in the country are faced with weak purchasing power, it is imperative that the policy is reviewed to ensure price of commodities are within the reach of the common man.
While commending Ali for instilling discipline in Customs, Tambuwal urged him not to relent until the revenue base of the federation has increased.
Earlier in his remarks, Ali acknowledged that the year had been a difficult one for the paramilitary organization.
“From revenue target of N80 billion monthly, we are now struggling to get N45 to 50 billion every month. So this is not the best of times for us but we are working to overcome our challenges,” he said.
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