Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Despite Coronavirus lockdown of the economy, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kwara Area Command, yesterday, said it has generated N1.696 billion in the first quarter of the year.
The Public Relations Officer, Customs Area Controller, Chado Zakari, in a statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin, stated that the Command was uncompromising on its mandate of enforcing legitimate trade and trade facilitation among local industries, which encouraged stakeholders to make prompt payment of import and excise duties to the federation account.
“This has also led the Command to the realization of increasing its revenue profile despite the lull of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Zakari said. The statement read in part: “The Kwara Area Command under the leadership of Comptroller Ahmed Hussaini Bello despite the lull of Covid-19 pandemic, at the end of first quarter 2020, generated the sum of N1. 696 billion, which represent 21 per cent of the Command’s annual target of N8. 038billion.
According to him, the breakdown of the revenue generated on monthly basis are “January, N1,006,901,647.42; February, N332,272,223.68; March, N356,844,823.64; totalling N1,696,018,694.74 “These bring the total amount of revenue generated by the Command since its creation to over N4.1billion.
“Ahmed is also vigorously pursuing the Comptroller General of Customs Zero tolerance for duty evasion and smuggling.
“He has been reviving proficiency with regard to identifying and blocking all possible avenues of revenue leakages, enhancing capacity building in the areas of modern Customs Operation, reinforcing the commitment of officers and men in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities and ensuring disciplinary actions are taken on any erring officer found compromising.
“Ahmed declared that seizures were successfully accomplished as a result of the renewed determination of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), to rid the country of all forms of illegal importation.
He stated that there would be continued sensitization for stakeholders on the need to comply with extant laws governing Customs and Excise activities.”
Speaking on “Anti smuggling efforts of the Command, he noted that: “Within the period under review, the Command has also recorded 54 seizures with duty paid Value (DPV) of N282.3 million; 21 units of vehicles of various types, 1, 159 Bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each); 737 Jerry Cans of Petroleum Product;20 Jerry Cans of Vegetable (25 liters each); 48 Sacks of 3,593Kg of Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana); 3 different seizures of Narcotics; 9 Used Pneumatics Tyres.