The Public Relations Officer, (PRO) of the PTML Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Steve Okonmah has faulted a media report which had earlier suggested his statement to mean an apology from the Service adding that he had no authority to speak for the Service as an organization.
A maritime industry newspaper (not Primetime Reporters) had reported that, “The Nigerian Customs Service yesterday corrected what it admitted as a error in the collection of 70% duty on imported used vehicles which was exclusively reported yesterday. It blamed the error on its technical partners Webb Fontaine.
“Speaking with our correspondent on the development, Public Relations officer of PTML Customs Command, Mr. Steve Okonmah said that Webb Fantaine uploaded the 70% in error. He however assured that the mistake has since been corrected. Okonmah said that the customs is still collecting 35% on used vehicles and 70% on new ones. ’People have been asking me but I have been telling them that there is no circular to that effect, the old rates still existing. We just had a meeting this morning and the CAC said we are still operating on existing 70% for new vehicles and 35% on old vehicles. Yesterday, there was a slight problem we had with Webb Fontaine, when they realised the mistakes, it was corrected immediately. This was why we did not give out value yesterday because of the mistake in the system”, Okonmah was quoted as saying.
But speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Okonmah however posited that there was never a time he told anyone that customs apologized saying that even if customs was to apologize, it would not come from his as he is not the spokesman for the service.
According to him,” I have never told anyone that customs apologized. I saw that report and I felt it is something that we should wish away. I mean that was an unwarranted write-up. Am I the national PRO? Am I to apologize on behalf of customs? You can see that that story was laddened with mischief but I don’t want to go into that because as far as I am concerned, I know that my message was clear and simple.
“So, those who were at the meeting yesterday (Tuesday) were asking me questions, then the next thing I see is that customs apologises. If the idea was to come and make mischief, whoever that sent him cannot have his way because, I pick every word that I said. Just like I am talking to you no was the same way I talked to them yesterday. So, for him to now go to the press and say customs apologises, does he realize what he is saying? Is customs not an organization? Am I the spokesperson of the organization? I am only a spokesperson of the command and not a spokesperson of the organization”.
He pointed out that although he had a right to send a rejoinder, he however chose to ignore the write-up as it did not worth it even as he described it as a very big embarrassment.
“As far as I am concerned, he is only being stupid and any day he comes here and I refuse to grant him interview, he will say I don’t like him and I keep telling him that anytime somebody says A, he will always say and that is why I avoid him. It was a very big embarrassment, if my headquarters see it, what will they say”, he queried.
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