Return to Sokoto
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday,
November 15, 2007
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•Neat
and sweet, a street in Sokoto.
PHOTOS: MAURICE ARCHIBONG
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For weeks, I had been planning to publish select reactions
by readers sent to my mailbox. But time and space were two
major constraints behind my inability to share this feedback.
At some point, I thought of making this selection part of
the review of this year’s "Travels," but realizing
they would be too numerous to accommodate, it became necessary
to release them piecemeal. Interestingly, these excerpts from
my inbox dovetail with today’s "Travels,"
which is also a mosaic of some sort.
The readers’ reactions came in various forms; calls,
text messages and e-mails but virtually all published below
were text messages. Mr. Oscar Ugwu, a Nigerian publisher based
in the Ghanaian capital, Accra phoned to encourage us, and
Ms.
Umebe Onyejekwe, a former deputy director of National Commission
for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), sent an e-mail describing
one of our reports as a "Fantastic write-up!" Not
surprisingly, AFRICOM, Africa Council for Museums, and related
bodies and even foreign universities, sometimes circulate
our reports to members and affiliates around the world. The
individuals that sent reactions to our reports ranged from
lawyers, fellow reporters/writers, journalists, and officers
of various paramilitary agencies, including an Assistant Controller
General, who accused us of bias! I plead not guilty…
Today’s travelogue aims to serve as a guide to hundreds
of Nigerians and even foreigners billed to attend this year’s
Controller General of Customs Conference, which opens in Sokoto
on Monday November 26. Although a revisit to Sokoto, alias
"Seat of the Caliphate," is our main story today,
we have other reasons for returning to this transformed northwestern
Nigerian city. Apart from the major topic, we also have a
report on the views of the Director General of the Nigerian
Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe,
on in-flight meals and how to grow tourism generally.
It is impossible to talk about the Nigerian economy without
tourism, and any serious discourse on that sector, which seeks
to downplay the role of the NTDC, would be incomplete. The
NTDC has been able to do so much in recent times; these are
among the reasons, we are reporting on this agency in two
consecutive weeks.
Last week, we did promise to guide the reader through the
Sokoto outpost of the National Gallery of Art (NGA) during
our travelogue on this city, so today’s report naturally
incorporates that aspect, among other images from the "Seat
of the Caliphate."
The venue of this year’s Comptroller General (CG) Conference
is Sokoto State Polytechnic Auditorium, and Public Relations
Officer (PRO) of the NCS, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, said the summit
would revolve around the theme "Toward the attainment
of 48-hour clearance." Mr. Adeniyi, a Chief Superintendent,
reiterated that the summit is a necessary forum to take stock
of the previous 12 months as well as strategize for the forthcoming
year.
The theme of this year’s conference, "Toward the
attainment of 48-hour clearance," sounds very interesting,
but the scoff of cynics would be, "Easier said than done."
Longer hours at the ports translate into higher costs for
the clearing agent, who passes it to the importer, who in
turn sends it down the consumers’ throat. Ostensibly,
it would be to everyone’s benefit, if goods could be
cleared "in a minute," if possible. However, a concert
of several and multi-dimensional factors conspire to thwart
speedy clearance of goods. Frequently, several stakeholders
are wont to pass the buck, blaming the Customs or other government
agencies of deliberately slowing down the process with a view
to extracting kickbacks. On the other hand, personnel of Nigeria
Customs and other security organs point to the propensity
for dishonesty on the part of certain importers or agents
as reason behind the delays.
The deficient state of infrastructure is also often blamed
for contributing to snail-speed delivery of goods. Such inadequacies
include power outages, absence of technological gadgets and
other facilities like the absence of an Examination Bay, for
example, which leads to the examination of goods along the
Seme-Badagry-Lagos Expressway, causing avoidable traffic bottlenecks
and exposing officers to risk of being knocked down. The Nigerian
government has also been accused of creating additional bottlenecks
with its establishment of too many agencies at each port.
Hear one agent’s exasperation: "In neighbouring
French-speaking countries, by the time you finish with two
government agencies, Police and ‘Douane’ (customs),
your goods are released. But in Nigeria, we have to go through
Customs, Police, Immigration, SSS, NAFDAC, SON and very soon,
they may introduce DAUGHTER for us to deal with before our
goods are cleared!" But the reaction of government authorities
to such complaints is often predictable, as could be gleaned
from the outburst by NCS Comptroller General Elder Jacob Gyang
Buba, who during the 2005 NCS Week, said, "every Nigerian
is a smuggler." Speaking on the third day of the usually
five-day annual conference the NCS chief observed that many
people complain about checkpoints without thinking deeply
about the reasons behind the mounting of such roadblocks.
Welcome to Sokoto, where for five days (Monday 26 to Friday
November 30, 2007), NCS would be the cynosure of manufacturing,
international trade, clearing agents and maritime industry
watchers. Aside NCS bigwigs, the yearly Customs’ chiefs
summit also attract participants from relevant ministries
of the Nigerian government as well as of operatives of international
bodies such as UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development), World Customs Organization (WCO), etc.
The CG confab frequently throws up confounding curios, and
Sokoto is not likely to be different. As usual, the NCS is
expected to read its score card, which traditionally includes
the amount of revenue grossed over the last 12 months, success
at suppressing smuggling, et cetera. But, as the NCS reels
out its list of myriad achievements, there will certainly
be moments of sober reflections.
For example, although the Customs annually collect billions
of dollars into the federation and non-federation accounts,
analysts remain worried that the overwhelming percent of these
levies come from import duties.
Heavy dependence on importation contributes to capital flight,
and connotes under-development, whereas huge collections from
Excise Duty indicate vibrancy of the local manufacturing sector
and, by extrapolation, job opportunities amid wealth creation.
In 2005, for example, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) comptroller
general revealed that the agency grossed almost N260 billion
in the first three-quarters of that year.
This figure, the C-G continued, was "N21, 246, 516, 404.10
higher than the amount collected into the Federation and non-Federation
accounts in 2004." However, the Customs helmsman expressed
worries about the Nigerian situation, where the value of exported
goods account for a paltry 5 percent, against 95 per cent
recorded for imports. Elder Buba, who described the situation
as unhealthy, said the NCS wished the reverse of this disparity,
which he called, staggering, were the case or at worst that
the high imports’ volume was matched by equally high
exports.
It also came to light during the 2006 CG Conference, held
in Otta that 10 months into the operation of the new import
guidelines called Destination Inspection (DI), an instrument
devised to enhance revenue collection, consolidate on security
and fast track clearance, among others, there was still no
legal statute backing the modification. Among other curios
that came to light at last year’s CG Conference was
the disclosure by Comptroller General Buba that some "commercial
banks have been known to issue fake receipts."
Many stakeholders, especially clearing agents, also chorused
another obstacle placed by commercial banks, has to do with
delays in issuance of a risk assessment report (RAR), and
processing Form M, both prerequisites for any import coming
to Nigeria.
Expectedly, many other issues will also surge to the fore
at this year’s CG Confab. For example, Customs top brasses
are meeting in Sokoto amid lingering anxiety among African
nations over the December 2007 deadline concerning the signing
of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) nations and the European Union
(EU). Elder Jacob Buba revealed this during the opening of
an Experts Meeting, preparatory to the 3rd Ordinary Meeting
of the African Union (AU) sub-committee of Directors General
of Customs, which held at the ECOWAS Headquarters, Asokoro,
Abuja from May 7 to the 11th.
"Are we, as a bloc, ready for this agreement?" queried
Buba, while speaking at the opening of the preliminary session.
The NCS boss had further revealed, "intra-African trade
accounts for barely 10 per cent of trade in the continent."
Could African nations, therefore, claim to have thrashed out
every ramification of the impact of EPA," Buba wondered.
His worries were partly based on the realization that in the
light of the EU being over 50 years old, the Europeans must
have, over the years, ironed out the details and strategies
for such agreements.
From November 27 to December 1, 2005, when the Ogun State
town of Otta played host to thousands of participants in last
year’s CG Conference, it was the first time the summit
took place outside a state capital. The theme for 2006 was,
"Destination Inspection: Tool of trade facilitation."
It could be recalled that in 2003, the confab held in Owerri,
Imo State. The following year, 2004, all roads led to Nigeria’s
famed Canaan City, Calabar, capital of Cross River State.
And in 2005, the Plateau State capital, Jos, lived up to expectations.
Evidently, all previous gatherings had taken place in state
capitals, and not surprisingly, the NCS has returned to the
status quo ante with the choice of Sokoto.
Usually, the NCS Comptroller General Elder Jacob Gyang Buba
leads hundreds of that service’s personnel at the annual
gathering, which would draw the majority of Customs top brasses
outside their posts. Those expected to attend include all
the Deputy Comptrollers General (DCG), and many Assistant
Comptrollers General (ACG), like Adamu Rabiu, Sani Nuhu Abubakar
MFR and Ezekiel Okeniyi. Comptrollers Ali Wakili mni, Dikko
Inde Abdullahi, Ola Ayanlaja, O. O. Eneh, Rasheed Taiwo, Mulikat
Adegoke mni and Tahir Audu Musa are among Customs Area Controllers
(CAC) likely to attend the summit. Aside NCS chiefs and lieutenants,
officials of the Federal Ministries of Finance, Industry,
Commerce and all stakeholders, especially members of the Association
of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) et cetera would
also be there.
Sokoto: Where to stay and what to see
In less than eight years since the debut of the annual CG
summit, the NCS has contributed immensely towards fostering
national unity by taking Nigerians around their country. Although
the confab is normally a serious affair, a time for stocktaking
and sober reflection, even as strategies are fine-tuned for
a better performance in subsequent years, the gathering also
throws in recreational sessions to help participants unwind.
Although Sokoto does not boast a vibrant station of the National
Museum, like Kano’s Gidan Makama or Katsina’s
Old Teachers Training College, there’s no doubt that
Sokoto would not disappoint, for this city boasts a lot to
see.
Visitors to Sokoto need not panic over where to stay: Sokoto
boasts at least 14 notable hotels, and the city has a relatively
low crime rate. Hotels in Sokoto include Mabera, University
Guest Inn near Othman Dan Fodio University (ODU) Campus, Ibro
Hotel, along Abdullahi Fodio Road, Shukura Hotel (Gusau Road),
Sokoto Hotel, Dankani Guest Palace and Sokoto Guest Inn both
along Kalambaina Road, Gingiya Hotels along Western By-pass
and Sokoto Rest House, behind Shukura Hotels. Five or six
of these lodges are private enterprises, while the rest are
government properties, and each of these lodges, offers accommodation
with en suite toilet/bedroom, A/C, Satellite TV and a refrigerator.
Curiously, there is no association of hotel proprietors in
this northwestern city, despite the relative plenitude of
inns in Sokoto. However, Mr. Ibrahim Dankani, General Manager
of Sokoto Guest Inn, said there were "plans in the pipeline
to have one." Breakfast, comprising potato chips, omelette,
kidney, baked beans, oatmeal or cornflakes, bread and tea
costs N900, while lunch or dinner come at N750 each. One of
my guides in Sokoto, Mallam Garba of the local National Museum,
also named Paila
Restaurant along Western By-pass among Sokoto’s famous
eateries.
Art in the city
Aside private tourist attractions, Sokoto city holds an outpost
of the National Gallery of Art (NGA). The NGA opened a specialized
Gallery of Modern Islamic Religious Art (NGMIA) in Sokoto
in February this year, and that outpost occupies suite 301
on the 4th Floor of Block 14, within the Shehu Kangiwa Secretariat,
which stands in the Giginya area of town along the Western
By-pass.
Mallam Ali Musa is keeper of NGA, Sokoto. The keeper, who
spoke to "Travels" in Sokoto last July, revealed
that this arm of the NGA may be one of the youngest, but it
revealed its precocious side, when it organized an exhibition
by local students on May 29, 2007.
The show, apparently in commemoration of the 2007 handover
ceremony, took place barely three months after the NGA outpost
berthed in Sokoto. Mr. Ahmad recalled that the exposition,
which was hosted by Sokoto Teachers College, took more than
two weeks preparations. The keeper named Sokoto State Action
Committee against Aids (SOSACA), Yamaho Nigeria Ltd as well
as Pepsi, which donated mineral drinks for participants’
refreshment, among leading sponsors of the exhibition. Students
from various primary and secondary schools, who took part
in the May 29, exposition also went home with certificates,
Ahmad enthused.
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