Snippets from an East-West
Safari
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday,
September 6, 2007
|
•L-R:
Comptroller Dikko Abdullahi and Beach Park at NCS Barracks
under construction.
PHOTOS: MAURICE
ARCHIBONG |
|
Today’s report is part of a review of our "Trip
to Nigeria’s Four Corners" series, which began
on June 14. That debut was essentially a preview of what obtains
around the country’s northeastern, southeastern, southwestern
and northwestern nooks and crannies.
June 21 "Travels," "Trip to Nigeria’s
Four Corners (2)," was, in a nutshell, a situation report
on the security and environmental threats plaguing Nigeria’s
northeastern areas bordering Lake Chad. In the follow-up,
titled, "Trip to Nigeria’s Four Corners: How a
horrible road in Cameroon impedes business in Nigeria,"
the nation’s border posts in the southeastern parts
were thrashed.
That assignment had taken us to Mfum in Cross River State
as well as Oron in neighbouring Akwa Ibom. After the expose
on the northeastern and southeastern corners, "Travels"
had moved on to the southwestern parts, and featured Seme,
the Nigerian border post in Lagos State next to Krake in Benin
Republic as well as the Ogun State town of Idiroko, which
lies next to another Beninoise settlement called Igolo.
These reports ("As security tightens at frontier posts,
border rats threaten they’d return to armed robbery"
and "Idiroko, Nigeria’s oldest border is gateway
of tokunbo smugglers") were published on July 5 and July
12 respectively. "Trip to Nigeria’s Four Corners"
had resumed on July 26, when we took on Illela and Kamba,
two Nigerian settlements located in Sokoto and Kebbi States
respectively around our international boundary with Niger
Republic. That report was titled "Illela: Smugglers’
haven."
We had staggered the reports to accommodate divergent interests,
for while scholars of strategic studies or conflict resolution,
with special reference to boundary areas, and so on, would
have preferred we run the stories uninterrupted, there were
other similarly urgent issues calling for attention. But then
marchlands are forever important and there could be no such
thing as concluding a report on border posts, for as we said
earlier, to a large extent, a nation’s security is inextricably
tied to what obtains beyond its immediate circumference or
border. Moreover, a border could make the difference in a
nation’s future: Think about the countless youngsters
rescued at Seme Border by Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)
operatives, for example. Uncontrolled emigration or exodus
due to economic hardships eventually robs a nation of invaluable
manpower, not to talk of creative resources.
Also deserving of commendation are Nigeria Police personnel
in the Nigeria-Benin Republic International Joint Border Patrol,
whose efforts at recovery of illegal firearms and maintenance
of order at Seme, Idiroko and elsewhere, have contributed
invaluably to not only making life and property more secure
but by extrapolation, boosting our national image. While we
celebrate the efforts of these officers for numerous interceptions
recorded frequently, one cannot but lament the plight of the
unfortunate ones that fell prey to human traffickers due to
gullibility and the porous nature of, and logistic deficiencies
at, our border. Thus, in spite of all that has been recorded,
our investigations reveal that a lot more remains to be done
at border posts and around frontier settlements, generally.
Roads leading to these "special zones" have to be
maintained continually and amenities must be provided because
a frontier post is the foreigner’s first contact with
the country he/she is visiting.
Expectedly, therefore, "Travels" would return to
various borders from time to time, since the contributions
of these fringes to our security, national economy, tourism
and so on, could never be over-exaggerated. For some idea
of how much of a hit the "Trip to Nigeria’s Four
Corners" series turned out to be, please read "Excerpts
from our inbox, text messages and phone calls," next
Thursday.
Today’s review, however, is principally a revisit to
Nigeria’s southeastern and southwestern frontier areas,
while the next part would dwell on the northwestern and northeastern
border post/settlements.
Since we began on a clockwise note, let’s bring in the
southeastern end first. In the June 28 edition of "Travels,"
we had drawn attention to, among other issues, the impact
a road could have on national economy. We had narrated how
a 22-km road in Cameroon impedes business in Nigeria because
it took two hours to travel that avenue. Interestingly, Mr.
Kingsley Holgate, the heavily bearded leader of the One Net
One Life anti-malaria expedition team currently on a 33-country
circumnavigation of Africa, would later reveal, during a reception
at Lagos House, Alausa penultimate Saturday, that it actually
took him "eight to nine hours" to cover the last
56 km distance to the Cameroonian border adjacent to the Nigerian
frontier settlement of Mfum.
But, we want to begin with a confession: Much as we trust
our security top-brass contacts, we sometimes think there
could have been attempts at window-dressing, where previous
notice of our visit was given. Often, therefore, we would
have already visited the destination or returned there, after
the official tour, to see the location in its true state.
Trouble is, someone could pick you out, where the independent
tour was sequel to the guided one; and this is what happened,
when we went to Mfum after the official visit. Although we
had taken care to dress differently, an eagle-eyed Customs
officer had nonetheless recognized the face. The man had walked
over to ask: "Haven’t you been here before?"
That more or less dampened our morale and it didn’t
take long before we were on our way. Before our departure,
however, we had gathered that another Officer-in-Charge (OC)
had been deployed there. With little to do in Mfum now, we
set out for Ikom. It was in the cocoa-producers’ hub
of Ikom that we stumbled on the gory murder of Chief Odey
Ndifon Obim, a retired assistant commissioner of police.
The report of that tragedy and a handful of other disturbing
developments, such as the fear of witchcraft and alleged reprisal
killing of people suspected to be witches or wizards, were
published in the September 1 issue of "Saturday Sun."
It is worth noting that one of those arrested in connection
with the death of the late ACP Ndifon was nabbed at a Nigerian
border post, in his alleged attempt to flee to Cameroon. Such
is the importance of a frontier station for you.
Aside "untimely" deaths ascribed to metaphysical
manipulations and "reprisal" killings; there is
at least one other story that was not reported. And we proceed
to do so now. The development has to do with a married man
and his new heartthrob. The man Mr. Takon Agbor is in his
mid-50s and wedded decades ago. That marriage was blessed
with several children, who are now adults. But to the apparent
chagrin of these offspring, the man went and picked a second
wife.
Unfortunately, his new found love spawned deadly hatred in
his clan going by reports that three of the man’s elderly
sons, Nja, Oben and Obi bought ropes, which they took to a
sitting of the local Elders Council. The trio handed over
the ropes to the elders to pass on to their father, so he
could use it to hang each of them. The brothers, now said
to be at-large, had warned that should their dad fail to hang
them, then they would kill him. Afraid that his incensed sons’
threat was not an empty one, the man had since abandoned Akparabong
and taken his new heartthrob to live in God-knows-where.
Mission to Ikang
From Mfum and environs, we had travelled some 230 km south
through the Cross River State capital, Calabar, to the marine
frontier post of Ikang. There are some dates one could hardly
forget. For Mr. Adebowale Oguns, an assistant Superintendent
of Customs (ASC I), August 6, 2007 is one date he would love
to remember for a long, long time. That was the day the officer
assumed duty at Ikang. Within 10 hours of reporting at Ikang,
Ogun’s alertness led to the detection of suspected contraband,
which yielded over 210 bags of rice. The bags comprised both
the 50kg ones (93) and 25kg (128) with a collective duty paid
value put at N415, 800.
As earlier reported, the Akwa Ibom/Cross River Command of
the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had recorded three seizures
between July 31 and August 6. These interceptions yielded
goods with total duty paid value (DPV) of more than N3.1million.
These achievements came on the heels of other seizures recorded
earlier in the year. However, Comptroller Ola Ayanlaja, Customs
Area Controller (CAC) of Akwa Ibom/Cross River Command, said
he and his men are not resting on their oars. Hear Him: "We
would not relent. I know that the smugglers would keep trying
to take advantage of the many beaches around and move from
jetty to jetty. But we would not lose track of them, so I
am confident we will record more seizures, declared the CAC,
who holds a master’s degree in criminology.
Ikang Station throws up a vast terrain, interspersed with
many creeks and jetties. These same geographical features
are virtually replicated around Oron. Mr. Simon Umeche, who
is OC of Ikang outstation, admitted their only patrol vehicle,
more than 15 years in use, is hardly enough to cover the landmass,
which stretches "from Atimbo Bridge to as far as the
University of Calabar."
Hear Mr. Umeche, a deputy Superintendent, who assumed duty
at Ikang on September 6, 2006: "We are doing our best,
but the area presents a big challenge because of many beaches.
So we need more personnel and more patrol vehicles."
Unfortunately, on-going retrenchment in the federal public
service hint at inability to beef up manpower at Ikang, Oron,
other areas and outposts. After Ikang, our expedition took
us to Oron.
Oron NCS Station
Alhaji Safianu Hussaini is Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Oron
Station of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). During a chat
last April with Mr. Hussaini, it was gathered that various
strategies had been put in place to curb smuggling, despite
the vast size and rough nature of that outpost’s terrain.
"Intensive surveillance activities to monitor areas as
far Ikot Ekpene and Uyo axes; extending to Itu, Ikot Abasi,
Eket, Ibeno and Ibaka," Hussaini expatiated, were among
the measures devised to suppress smuggling. "The moral
and logistic support given by our highly experienced Area
Controller, Comptroller Ayanlaja, led to our success."
According to AC Hussaini, an Assistant Comptroller of Customs,
a recent familiarization visit, which took CAC Ayanlaja to
major corners of Akwa Ibom State, gave Oron-based officers
a huge moral boost. "The CAC’s tour gingered us
up, as could be seen from the recent seizures recorded in
this area," Hussaini remarked.
Hussaini again: "We equally embarked on campaigns to
educate the public about what Customs Service is all about.
We use any opportunity possible to do so. For instance, sometime
ago, I had such an opportunity to enlighten the Oron Beach
Association of Boat Owners, when they paid me a courtesy visit.
They were further educated on the importance of obeying import
regulations and proper documentation of exports." After
our tour of the oriental frontier, we moved on to Seme in
Nigeria’s southwestern corner.
Return to Seme Border
Believe it or not, many importers of used vehicles (Tokunbo)
have lost billions of naira to interception of smugglers trying
to bring such cars into the country illegally. Ignorance is
the reason many prospective users of "Tokunbo" cars
fall prey to smugglers posing as clearing agents, "Travels"
can authoritatively reveal.
Unknown to buyers wishing to import used vehicles, the huge
sums they coughed out to those whose stock in trade is to
"fly" cars across the border was sometimes much
larger than the total of all tariffs and duty required to
legally clear the imported automobile. But due to ignorance,
some buyers think all used vehicles come under contraband
or that the amount necessary to meet the clearing costs was
beyond them. At the end of the day, many spend much more than
the official cost. To worsen matters, countless buyers have
lost their vehicle to seizure by customs operatives, not to
talk of those arraigned in court for smuggling.
Prior to his deployment to Seme, Comptroller Abdullahi, the
current CAC of Seme Border, was OC Investigation at NCS Headquarters,
Abuja, and he ostensibly came to Seme armed with uncommon
intelligence as to the goings-on there. This probably explains
why he swung into action in next to no time upon assuming
office, and sheds some light on how Badagry Area of the NCS
was able to rake in N2. 35 billion from duty, various tariffs
and levies within seven months of Comptroller Abdullahi’s
leadership.
Hear the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Musa
Omale: "As you can see, the CAC’s promise to live
up to expectation is being fulfilled.
Revenue collection is on the increase, and so is the number
of seizures." Omale wasn’t exaggerating, going
by statistics, which reveal that an average of over 320 vehicles
had been cleared monthly at Seme since February. In deed,
more than 2, 080 vehicles had been cleared at Seme in the
first six months after Comptroller Abdullahi took over the
reins. "This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the
command’s revenue collection," Omale enthused.
Very true, for that command has been netting an average of
roughly N43 million from car imports over the seven-month
period of February to July. According to Mr. Omale, a Superintendent
of Customs, more and more importers of vehicles now flock
to Seme to clear their automobiles. The PRO revealed the development
is consequent upon a vigourous sensitization exercise initiated
by the CAC and prosecuted with diligence by the OC, Vehicle
Seat. Aside the campaign, which the CAC pushed through via
the Vehicle Seat, there is concerted effort by all units to
boost revenue collection and curb smuggling generally, Omale
enthused.
Although that command of the NCS collected over N370 million
from August 1 to 31, the PRO observed that the sum would have
been much higher in June and July and but for the rains, which
compelled a lull in business activities in the area. He however
added on an optimistic note, saying, "With the rainy
season on the way out, and with various strategies being devised
by the CAC and other officers, there is no doubt that the
only way we can go is up."
It was not only in the area of revenue collection that Comptroller
Abdullahi and his team lived up to expectations: More than
184 smuggling attempts had been aborted by Badagry Area Command
within that same period. The duty paid value of the confiscated
items was put at over N127 million.
The Command’s achievements hint at dedication on the
part of the workforce, so the question that consequently rankled
in our mind was: "Under what conditions do these officers
operate?" The PRO opined that Comptroller Abdullahi is
a good student of the Comptroller General Elder Jacob Buba
Gyang, in that he "is always conscious of officers’
welfare."
Omale had evidences to point to: Hitherto, hundreds of Officers
and Men of NCS Badagry Area Command had only one lawn tennis
court for recreation. Now, Comptroller Abdullahi is working
at a beach garden, where officers, their families and guests
can go to for relaxation.
Border and environs as mirror of society
Unfortunately, it is not only in the Cameroons that some roads
pose a terrible nuisance to tourists, not to talk of the national
economy. In Nigeria, apart from the horrendous state of the
Calabar-Ikom, Calabar-Itu, Calabar-Uyo, Aba-Port Harcourt
and Aba-Ikot Ekpene Roads in the southeast, the condition
of the Lagos-Badagry-Seme Expressway in the southwestern extremes
also leaves a lot to be desired. Despite countless complaints
from travellers from neighbouring countries that had been
robbed or killed along this southwestern Nigerian highway,
very little seems to have been done to redress the situation.
As we had stated countless times in the past, the importance
of Seme cannot be over-emphasized. This border is not just
a money-spinner; as the busiest gateway between Nigeria and
other ECOWAS countries, Seme and the road linking that frontier
settlement to Mile Two in Lagos is a public relations index
of our country. It is doubtful that even advertising and image-making
giants Saatchi and Saatchi could redress the damage done our
national image on a daily basis by the pothole ridden and
filth-infested route called the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
In this regard, the CAC of Badagry Area Command, Comptroller
Dikko Abdullahi deserves commendation for hosting a visiting
team from the Lagos-Abidjan Transport and Transit Facilitation
Project (LATTFP) last July. That team’s visit was not
only an opportunity to explore ways of trade facilitation
but in the long run, to also improve competitiveness of national
economies, thus enhancing wealth, according to the Command’s
PRO, Mr. Omale. |
