The Tin-Can Island Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N22.8 billion in August, this year.
The August 2013 amount surpassed the N18.4 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2012 by N4.3 billion.
The Customs Area Controller, Jubril Zakari, who gave the figures in his office in Lagos on Wednesday, said that the amount was unprecedented in the history of the Command since inception, representing the highest revenue collected till date.
He disclosed that from January to August 2013, the Command collected over N150 billion, which showed increased revenue performance of about N10.8 billion when compared to the total collection of N139 billion in the corresponding period of 2012.
Meanwhile, the Command has denied reports that some of its officers had allegedly dared the authority of the Comptroller- General (CG) of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde. The Command’s Public Relations Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Customs, Chris Osunkwo, in a press statement described the report as baseless, pointing out that no sane officer would speak about the CG in such despicable terms.
He said that the Customs helmsman has the authority to either retain or redeploy any officer he deems fit in order to achieve desired results.
“Anybody certified as a customs officer should understand the authority the CGC has. If he said officers were many and he was going to redeploy them, it is not questionable. Nobody can question his authority. He is only exercising his authority in accordance with the enabling laws of the Service,” Osunkwo said.
He said it was an act of mischief for anybody to say that the Customs boss was playing to the gallery to remain in office.
“We want to state clearly here that the CGC got to where he is presently by merit and not by lobby therefore cannot play to the gallery to remain in office. As a Command, we view the malicious media report as the handiwork of enemies of the Service whose intent is not only to paint the Command black, but to also rubbish the unequalled good works of the CGC since he assumed office,” Osunkwo stated.
He added: “I would not want to credit that statement to any officer because I doubt the identity of the person. Otherwise how would an officer go on the pages of newspaper to say that the CG’s directive is an empty threat? Then the person should get his head examined because it will mean he does not understand the job he claims to be doing.”
Source: Leadership Newspaper
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