Why FG should sanction Customs officers over infractions on duty payment —Ogunojemite

The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has challenged the Federal Government to henceforth mete out sanctions against the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) found wanting in the inappropriate payment of duty on imported vehicles to the government.

The association attributed its position to the fact that freight forwarders alone should not always be punished by the leadership of Customs for infractions noticed in the payment of duties, while Customs officers who allegedly connived with the agents are left unpunished.

President, APFFLON, Frank Ogunojemite, any officer found guilty in the serial infractions in duty payment on fairly used vehicles, popularly known as ‘Tokunbo’ in the local parlance, should be dealt with according to the law.

The Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Tariff and Trade, Muhamed Musa in a memo with the reference number: NCS/T&T/SYSAUD/S.5 Vol.1, dated July 17, 2023 and obtained by Nigerian Tribune had alleged that some of the freight forwarders were shortchanging the Federal Government.

Musa claimed that a new trend of infraction was discovered where the value approved on the assessment slip for the extended procedure Code 846 was not completely utilised.

The memo further instructed the Customs Area Controllers (CAC) to take immediate action to stop the infraction and also liaise with the Deputy Controller Revenue, Deputy Controller Valuation and Deputy Controller Post Clearance Audit (PCA) to ensure recovery of lost revenue.

The list of some C numbers with such infractions was attached to the memo, stating that other C numbers would be forwarded in due course, saying that the profiling was a continuous process.

Ogunojemite declared that customs officers who were involved in the value cut on extended procedure Code 846 should also be compelled to make up the differences discovered in the duty.

Ogunojemite insisted that freight forwarders could not have shortchanged the government without the connivance of a releasing officer, especially in this new era of automation.

The APFFLON president, pointed out that freight forwarders and importers should not  be made to bear the brunt alone, stressing that the guilty  officers who aided and abeited the infractions should also be punished by the customs management.

According to Ogunojemite: “It takes two to tango; in this case, it will be quite unfair to punish Peter and spare Paul for a crime they both committed. If the management of the Nigeria Customs Service wants to be fair, just and professional as well, every officer who aided or connived with freight forwarders to shortchange the Federal Government must be prosecuted and, if found guilty as charged, go to jail or refund the money he received with a heavy fine.”

“Such officers should not be spared. That would serve as a deterrent to others who aid and abate financial crimes while in public office. Corrupt public officers should not be treated with kid gloves if at all the fight against corruption is to be taken seriously.

“A lot of public and political appointees have enriched themselves by shortchanging well-meaning Nigerians. We cannot continue to see occupation of public offices as an opportunity to loot and abuse the entire system. Corrupt officers should be prosecuted and if found guilty, sent to jail.”

Ogunojemite equally maintained that most of the shady deals that are carried out in public and political offices in Nigeria could not happen in saner climes, emphasising that countries where systems work do not celebrate corrupt people, rather prosecute them when found guilt

He therefore called on the Federal Government to carry out a downward review of duty rates to save businesses from collapsing while decrying how entrepreneurs are losing their livelihoods with importers no longer being able to import cargo into the country.