NLC warns customs over unrealistic policy, says it’s unacceptable

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLLC) has described the planned policy by the Nigeria Customs Service, directing all motor dealers and private owners of vehicles, whose customs duty has not been paid, to do so between Monday, March 13th and Wednesday, April 12, 2017 as unrealistic and unacceptable.

In a letter written to the Comptroller-General Nigeria Customs Service, Colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd), and titled: “This Policy is Not Realistic,” the congress said the policy is logistically-callous and will create unimaginable chaos and suffering for innocent vehicle end-users.

The. Customs Service had also said that there will be an aggressive anti-smuggling operation to seize as well as prosecute owners of such smuggled vehicles after the deadline of Wednesday, April 12, 2017; while it also directed vehicle owners to Customs Zonal offices in Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Bauchi to have their vehicles certified if Customs duty has been paid on them.

However, describing the policy as self-serving, the letter signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said the move will in the end enrich unscrupulous Customs personnel who contributed in no small measure to the present situation through acts of commission or omission.

Besides, comrade Wabba said it will amount to rewarding their complicity, adding that it is unacceptable to subject vehicles owners to such trauma”

Comrade Wabba said: “It is common knowledge that duties on imported vehicles are payable at the point of entry. Subjecting vehicle end-users to this kind of trauma majorly of whom have no hand in the importation of their vehicles is unfair and unacceptable.

“There is no information on the vehicles to be excluded from this exercise. This presupposes that the owner of a Morris Minor or a Peugeot 404 brought into this country in the 70’s is similarly affected.

“Beyond this, a state of mental siege is being created by all manner of endless verification and re-certification exercises in the country. It is thus morally wrong to inflict on the citizenry this kind of discomfort.

“In view of the aforestated reasons, we strongly advise that the Nigeria Customs Service shelve this plan. Lessons ought to have been learnt from the violent outcome of the brutal raids of Ota market and the ambushing and extorting of money from vehicle-owners on the high way at yuletide seasons. Porous borders, as the Customs claim, are no justification for these actions or proposed policy action.

“Accordingly, in place of this unpopular policy which has received condemnation from all sectors of the economy, the Nigeria Customs Service should devise a coherent response that will deal with these challenges.

“Such a response, we believe, should focus on capacity building, modernisation of operations, use of technology, massive corruption in the system and inspiration/incentivisation of officers and men in order for them to deliver on their mandate as well as meet annual targets.”