Why there is congestion at the ports ―Customs

THE Apapa Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has blown the lid on why there is congestion of cargoes at the nation’s seaports.

Disclosing this while receiving the visiting Commandant of the Customs Command and Staff College, Abuja, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG), Eporwei Edike, the Apapa Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comp. Musa Jibril accused some terminal operators of working against the spirit and letter of the Federal Government’s policy on the ease of doing business at the ports.

The Customs Chief said it was no longer acceptable for terminal operators at the nation’s premier port to peg the daily release of containers at 200 per day.

Compt Jibril said it was no longer fashionable to insist on this number of containers per day when it has become glaring that there’s an upsurge in container traffic at the ports.

“We have the capacity and manpower to handle at least 500 or more containers per day, but only 200 containers are stemmed down for examination daily by the terminal operators”, Jibril told a stunned ACG Edike.

The Customs Chief also complained about the lack of cargo handling equipment, electricity and water at some examination bays and said this was totally unacceptable.

ACG Eporwei Edike in his own presentation said the nationwide tour by students of the College, who are senior Customs officers, was to get them abreast of modern techniques in clearing procedures.

Edike promised to take up the issues raised by the Apapa Customs Chief with the relevant authorities. He praised Jibril for raising the bar in terms of trade facilitation and duty collection.