Is the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja right in intercepting trucks cleared at the Tin Can Port by other Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) officers?
Importers and truck drivers are accusing the FOU officials of “extortion” and “second clearing”; but the FOU insists that it is doing its job.
FOU Public Relation Officer (PRO) Uche Ejesieme reacting to this said that the officers usually gets tip-off before they swing to action.
“If we get information that there was manipulation in the document presented for the release of the cargo from the port, our officers will go there and intercept the item and the affected officer will be asked to report to FOU and subsequently to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.”
The drivers alleged that the FOU officers story on the bridge about two metres from the port and stop them for another clearance.
Some of the officers, they claimed, demand between N50,000 and N100,000 and, at times, more before allowing them to go.
Last Friday, about 20 officers of the FOU were on the bridge, stopping container-laden trucks just released from the port.
The importers and drivers appealed to the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi; his Finance counterpart, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and the Customs Comptroller-General (CCG) Col Ahmeed Ali to call the FOU officers to order.
In 2011, The Nation learnt that Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi ordered FOU operatives, who mount roadblocks and impound cleared containers, off the road.
A senior manager of a terminal at the port, who pleaded not to be named, said the FOU officers have no right to seize containers on the bridge.
Ha said:“What are they doing on the Coconut Bus Stop bridge? The bridge leads to the port and it is about two metres away from the port. If the FOU officers are interested in the cargo clearance procedure, I think they should be allowed to come inside the port instead of killing the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government and causing unnecessary gridlock on the road.”
Read more in The Nation
Importers and truck drivers are accusing the FOU officials of “extortion” and “second clearing”; but the FOU insists that it is doing its job.
FOU Public Relation Officer (PRO) Uche Ejesieme reacting to this said that the officers usually gets tip-off before they swing to action.
“If we get information that there was manipulation in the document presented for the release of the cargo from the port, our officers will go there and intercept the item and the affected officer will be asked to report to FOU and subsequently to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.”
The drivers alleged that the FOU officers story on the bridge about two metres from the port and stop them for another clearance.
Some of the officers, they claimed, demand between N50,000 and N100,000 and, at times, more before allowing them to go.
Last Friday, about 20 officers of the FOU were on the bridge, stopping container-laden trucks just released from the port.
The importers and drivers appealed to the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi; his Finance counterpart, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and the Customs Comptroller-General (CCG) Col Ahmeed Ali to call the FOU officers to order.
In 2011, The Nation learnt that Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi ordered FOU operatives, who mount roadblocks and impound cleared containers, off the road.
A senior manager of a terminal at the port, who pleaded not to be named, said the FOU officers have no right to seize containers on the bridge.
Ha said:“What are they doing on the Coconut Bus Stop bridge? The bridge leads to the port and it is about two metres away from the port. If the FOU officers are interested in the cargo clearance procedure, I think they should be allowed to come inside the port instead of killing the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government and causing unnecessary gridlock on the road.”
Read more in The Nation