… trains maritime journalists
Apparently to curb the incidences of network collapse and network failure witnessed at the command, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command on Tuesday commission ed its new Ultra-modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training centre and a communication tower.
Also, the command took the occasion to flag off a two-day training programme for Maritime Journalists to further acquaint them with workings of the Service and arm them with the adequate knowledge of customs procedure.
In his opening speech, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Charles Edike appreciated the efforts of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dr. Dikko Inde Abdullahi in providing what he called an internationally standard ultra-modern ICT training centre.
Edike stated that the ICT training centre which would further enhance the capacity of the men and officers of the command was not for the Apapa command alone but for the use of the entire Zone A and for the entire service.
According to him,” I want to believe that the CGC deliberately made it finer than the on e in Gwagwalada because he is a man that in whatever he is doing, he makes improvement better and better”.
“So, the ICT training centre is not just for Apapa, it is for the entire Zone A and indeed for the entire Service. And of course, it is not an Apapa affair but Zone A and the service affair and that is why the CGC approved for us the finest and the best of the trainers the service has got and they are all certified master trainers”.
He recalled that about two months ago, there was a storm in Lagos and the Mast which the command had earlier mounted gave way thus the need for the acquisition and subsequent installation of the communication tower which according to him was 160 metres tall.
The Area Controller opined that with the brand new communication tower in place, incessant cases of network collapse and network failure would be a thing of the past in the day to day running of the command.
Speaking on the two day training programme organized for Maritime Journalists as put together by the command, Edike observed that the idea was informed b y the need to put the journalists on the know of the workings of the Nigeria Customs Service so as to enable them to be on the same page with the service in order for them to better inform and educate the public properly.
He disclosed that most of the times, journalists confuse some terms and terminologies that are peculiar to the service in the course of reporting the activities of the service hence the need to further broaden their knowledge and to better equip them to carry out their functions effectively.
“It is also good for them to know about enforcement. I also read in the papers, some persons want to describe seizure and they call it detention and when they want to talk about forfeiture, they say it is seizure”.
“So, if a journalist knows the difference between detention, seizure and forfeiture, he will know that you start with detention, if the person was able to provide the papers to clear himself, he goes. Then if he cannot, seizure comes in. Then after seizure, what next? We go to court, the court will condemn that consignment and then after condemnation, forfeiture, it becomes the property of the federal government of Nigeria”, he explained.
Also re-echoing the views of the CAC, the Assistant Comptroller General in charge of Zone A, Mr. Victor Gbemudu pointed out that although the ICT centre was domiciled at Apapa, it was for the use of the entire officers of the Zone hence the reason why the officers were brought from different commands to train the journalists in customs procedures.
ACG Gbemudu noted that the service had nothing to hide from the public thus the reason why it invited journalists to educate them so as better inform and educate the public about how customs works.
He said,” with the modernization today, you can always log in and see if there is any infraction. I stay in the comfort of my office today and go through the revenue collection of Apapa port, I know the revenue collection for Tincan Island for yesterday, I know the total collection made at the Airport for yesterday. So, you don’t need to call the area Controller to brief you of the ongoing”.
Speaking shortly after commissioning the new ultra modern ICT training centre, ACG Gbemudu regretted that more often than not, the Service was not always portrayed in a positive light largely because people misconstrued its functions.
He went on to explain that while the federal government formulate policies which according to him varies on yearly basis, it was the duty of the service to enforce those policies put in place by the federal government in order to ensure its functionality.
“And in doing that, we also as much as possible try to facilitate trade which is the main focus. Trade facilitation is the watchword for the customs of today. We continue to do that still guided strictly with the laws of the federal government of Nigeria”.
So, this is the part of the education we want you to understand. That is why we also add that we open ourselves and foresee the powers that we share in, all that gives us the powers in what we do and largely, policies vary from year to year and when government rolls out a policy, we are bound to implement . That is just our role”, he said.
