The Tin-can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N21.2 billion revenue in August, 2014.
The command in a statement released in Lagos by its Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs (DSC) Chris Osunkwo, said that the collection during the month dropped by N2.2 billion from the N23.4 billion it collected in July.
He said the revenue profile of the command had been fluctuating since the beginning of the year; a situation he attributed to “man-made” issues.
According to the statement, the command collected N21.5 billion in January, N21.6 billion in February, N16.6 billion in March, N26.3 billion in April, N26.5 billion in May, and N26.1 billion in June.
“We have been lamenting the poor state of the ports’ access roads.
“We believe that the deplorable state of the roads can lead to a drop in accruable revenue into government coffers.
“Honestly, we are just gradually recovering from the impact of poor state of the ports’ access roads on our operations,” the command said.
It disclosed that a 40-feet container loaded with rugs, used tyres, used clothes, shoes, vegetable oil, carpets and rice was impounded by the command in August, adding that 15 suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
Meanwhile, the Ogun Area Command says it generated N672 million in the month of August as against N505 million collected in the corresponding period of last year.
In a press statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Usman Abubakar, and sent to SHIPS &PORTS DAILY, the amount which represents an increase of N166million was the highest in the history of the command.
He said the command also made a total of 143 seizures with a Duty Paid Value of N144miliion as against 93 seizures with DPV of N47million recorded in the same period of 2013.
A breakdown of the seizures shows 5,531 bags of rice, 1,480 cartridges of live ammunition, 9 sacks of Indian hemp, 25 sacks of second hand clothing were impounded in the period under review.
Others are 67 vehicles, 1,258 cartons of frozen poultry products, 10 motorcycles and 125 kegs of premium motor spirit (PMS).
Usman attributed the successes recorded to the formidable mechanism put in place by the Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Haruna, to curtail the menace of smuggling in the area.
He said the command will however not relent in its revenue drive and in ensuring that smuggling activities were reduced to its barest minimum.
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