…Also made 55 seizures and arrested 6 suspects
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command has said that it collected a whooping N1, 072,484, 462.82 (One Billion, Seventy-Two Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-Two Naira, Eighty-Two Kobo) in the month of February, 2016.
In a release signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Selechang Taupyen, the command also made 55 (Fifty-Five) seizure with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N15,614,397.00 (Fifteen Million, Six Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety-Seven Naira) adding that 6 (Six) suspects were also arrested with the said month.
Describing the feat achieved by the Command under the leadership of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Victor Dimka as mind boggling, Mr. Taupyen indicated that research from the command’s data base that the revenue figure of February 2016 was the first since the creation of the command.
He further recalled that the revenue collected for the month exceeded the N899, 800, 250.76 (Eight Hundred and Ninety-Nine Million, Eight Hundred Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Naira, Seventy-Six Kobo) collected within the same period in 2015, representing N 172,684,212.06 (One Hundred and Seventy-Two Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-Four Thousand, two Hundred and Twelve Naira, Six Kobo) excess collection.
According to him,” It is also important to note that achieving this feat did not just come, considering the hiccups that militated against this unprecedented performance both nationally and internationally:- The prevailing high exchange rate, the strike action by the port Authority and the customs in the Republic of Benin, protest on the implementation process of unifying the ex-factory price nationally and the uncompromising stand of the command to remain resolute in adhering strictly to the service guidelines and procedures.
“The Customs Area Controller is not resting on his oars as he briefed his management team to intensify the effort of every unit toward actualizing same in the month of March 2016. According to the Comptroller, ‘it is easy to attain success, but not easy to maintain success’ therefore all hands must be on deck to maintain and exceed the current record.
“The Customs Area Controller attributed this feat to the commitment of the management team, the critical stakeholders and the host community that were ready to partner with him as change agents in transforming the command. For the one month period he spent in Seme command, the comptroller has demonstrated some sterling leadership qualities. A leader who supervises meticulously to see that every task given is implemented to the later, a manager who apply every sense of diplomacy in relating with his management team to achieve result, a determined leader who has no room for failure in all responsibilities he is saddled with and an enforcement oriented leader that stands on behalf of his officers who adhere to his perception of doing things right”.
He continued,” Dimka recalled that in his inaugural speech, he made mention that ‘Seme will never remain the same again’, today we can witness positive attitudinal change among officers, restructuring the international route to meet the ECOWAS protocols in line with the international best practices, discipline being enforced, legitimate trade is facilitated, our National security which is pivotal to our socio-economic survival is being strengthened by our diligence in scanning goods imported and above all the revenue profile is unequal to none in the annals of history since the inception of the command.
“On a concluding note, it is worthy to note that Seme border command is beginning to get it right as every unit is fortified to block all revenue leakages, thereby translating to the success recorded today”.
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