Author: Saint Augustine

…says emerging new DCGs and ACGs are competent officers The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called on the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) to exercise caution in the retirement of the officers in order not to lose the best of its officers. The Deputy National President Logistics NAGAFF, Mr. Ugochukwu Nnadi who made this call in a press release he issued in Lagos on Tuesday and made available to Primetime Reporters warned that the ongoing reforms and restructuring should be made to be transparent to avoid undue speculations of witch-hunting. Nnadi remarked that it…

The Seme Border Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday said that it collected a total of N933, 929, 355.30 (Nine Hundred and Thirty-Three Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty-Five Naira, Thirty Kobo) in the month of October, 2015. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Taupyen Selechang who made this known in a release made available to Primetime Reporters also said that the command made 20 (Twenty) seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N2,375,280.00 (Two Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand, Two hundred and Eighty Naira) in the said month. He…

Intrigues as more revelations trail the recent collision of two tanker vessels; MT Tank and MT Elixir that led to loss of a life, eight victims yet to be found while three persons were rescued alive out of the twelve crew members on board MT Tank vessel. Recall that the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had conveyed a press briefing in Lagos recently to intimate the public of its efforts at rescuing the victims of the ill-fated vessels at Bonga terminal in Delta state. According to the Acting Director General of NIMASA, Baba Jauro, the agency had deployed…

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) has approved the appointment of Six (6) acting Deputy Comptrollers-General of Customs in the on-going re-organisation in the Service. According to a release signed by the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the service, Wale Adeniyi, a copy which was obtained by Primetime Reporters, the six (6) Officers, who were of the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General, would occupy the positions of Deputy-Comptrollers-General in acting capacity. Those appointed are: ACG Idris Suleiman (Finance Administration and Technical Service), ACG Iya Umar (Tariff and Trade), ACG Dan Ugo (Enforcement Investigation and Inspection), ACG Grace Adeyemo…

Hameed Ali is the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service. In this interview, he spoke on the corruption in the service, perceived mass sack of customs officers by his administration, his not wearing customs uniform, debtor rice importers among many other salient issues. Excerpt; corruption in the Service I will be forced to admit that there is no organization in this country today that will beat its chest and say there are no corrupt elements in it and so I will not also beat my chest and say there are no corrupt elements in customs. But I want to say…

There are indications that 400 officers of the Nigeria Customs Service will soon be shown the way out for various reasons ranging from corruption, insubordination, indiscipline to absenteeism. This is just as the service on Sunday said that the retirement of 35 of its senior officers would not affect its operations. A total of 35 senior officers of the service were retired last week in a re-organisation exercise aimed at re-positioning the customs for improved performance. Those affected in the exercise were five deputy comptrollers-general, three Assistant Comptroller-General and comptrollers serving in Customs headquarters, zonal offices and various area commands.…

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh has called on all Nigerians both in the public and private sectors to support the efforts of the Federal Government at providing social security protection to vulnerable groups. The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Mr. Felix Ogenyi made this appeal in Abuja while declaring open a Stakeholders’ Meeting on “Addressing the Social Security Needs of the Informal Workers through Cooperative Delivery System.” In his word: “The challenges of social security in our society today cannot be over looked.  A dynamic system to…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. Buhari and Jonathan met behind closed doors at the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa for just five minutes. The former president arrived the State House at exactly 2.00pm in a black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). On his arrival, Jonathan headed straight for the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa. The former president was seen off the venue of the meeting by President Buhari at 2.07pm. Jonathan left the Presidential Villa without talking to journalists. This was the second time Jonathan would be…

The Code of Conduct Bureau is arraigning former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Peter Orubebe on the 9th of November, 2015 on a four count charge, at Code of Conduct Tribunal, bordering on breach of Code of Conduct of Bureau and Tribunal Act. This was sequel to service of summon yesterday on the former Minister by the bailiff of the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The charges were filed by Peter Danladi (Esq.) of Code of Conduct Bureau, on the 8th of October 2015, on behalf of Attorney General of the Federation. However the charges are, “ That you, Godsday…

By Joy Enamuna There are strong indications that all is not well among Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN)‎ over the court case instituted against the Nigerian Shippers Council. The Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Seaports Terminal Operator Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS) and the Association of Shipping Lines Agencies (ASLA) have been locked in legal tussle over arbitrary hike in tariff It was learnt that some members have asked the association to withdraw the court case against the Shippers Council because they believed they are fighting for the benefit of Nigeria Shippers. The…