• As Smugglers Batter Customs Officers In Ogun State

The Standards Organization of‎ Nigeria (SON) has said that it is being excluded from 88% of cargo examinations by the Nigeria Customs Service, a development which has led to the influx of substandard products into Nigerian markets.

Speaking at a Maritime Stakeholders Awareness Forum with importers and clearing agents in Lagos yesterday, Director General of SON, Dr. Paul Angya said that officers of the Nigeria Customs Service should be blamed for the influx of fake products into the country, because most times, they fail to allow SON do its job.

Angya however assured that he had initiated a collaboration at the highest level with the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Alli and a joint committee has been set up to make sure SON is given more access to the port to carry out cargo examination.

A former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala had in October 2011, sent out eight of 16 agencies operating at the ports, the SON was one of the eight. The SON DG said that the level of fake products in Nigerian markets has risen between September 2015 and March 2016 and this has attracted the attention of the Federal Government. He said he had been given a matching order by the Minister of Trade and Investments, Mr. Okechukwu Enelama to‎ reverse the trend. He consequently vowed to cleanse the system in three months and to deal with airing importers.

Angya said that part of the efforts that have been taken so far is the signing of a pact between SON and China on cutting-off the supply and manufacturing of substandard products to Nigeria. The SON DG blamed Nigerian importers and clearing agents for master- minding ‎importation of fake items into Nigeria and collaborating with Customs officers to shield SON from being invited to inspect the goods.

He told the gathering that: “I have initiated collaboration at the highest level with the Comptroller General of Customs and we have set up a joint committee with the CG at the highest level which is working out the modalities for giving SON more access to the port”. “If we were at the port we would not be begging for more access, now we are begging to do our job, when Customs don’t invite us we cannot enter, we only know what is coming into the country when we are told”

“More than 70% of the goods get out without our being told, we only get to know when they are already on the high way, and because we want the nation to see us doing our job, we risk our lives and go running after the containers on the highway like motor park touts, this is because we are not being allowed to do it in the port‎”, he lamented.

“There has been a draft MOU with the Chinese for over 10 years which has not been signed until now, we were asking them to cut the influx of substandard products into Nigeria, ‎ they have accepted and it would no longer be business as usual, there would now be consequences for the Chinese and Nigerians dealing in substandard goods” he vowed.

Dr. Angya however lamented that the agency is understaffed and could not carry out its duties at all the ports and border stations. He said SON has 1,500 workers. He appealed to the Federal Government to allow SON recruit not less than 10,000 workers in order to be able to function effective.

Meanwhile, freight forwarding associations present at the forum including ANLCA, NAGAFF, NAFFAC, and National Council of Managing Directors declared support for SON in its new fight against substandard products.

One of them, the Chairman, Western Zone of ANLCA; Mr Mr John Ofobike commended SON’s efforts to stay in the ports, saying it was the right step to achieve its obligations. Also, the Public Relations Officer, NAGAFF; Mr Stanley Ezenga, said the association was worried about the influx of substandard goods into the country. Ezenga, however, said the association would partner with the SON to ensure that the problem was dealt with.

In the meantime, smugglers descended on some officers Nigeria Customs Service while on patrol along Ogun/Ole-Odan axis of Ogun State. A statement on the attack that was issued by the Nigeria Customs Service disclosed that four suspects have however been arrested in connection with the attack.

The statement added that its operation against the smugglers led to the seizure of 11 motor cycles which were used as means of conveyance of 250 bags of smuggled rice. Sounding undeterred, the statement added that the Nigeria Customs Service will not be cowed from performing its statutory functions, most especially in the area of anti-smuggling operations.

In the statement which was issued by the Service’s anti-smuggling unit, it acknowledged that: “These incessant attacks on officers and men of Nigeria Customs Service on patrol by “dare devil” smugglers have led to so many deaths and series of injuries recorded. In some cases, officers and men are left with deep machete cuts and various degrees of injuries”.

Harping on its responsibility as enforcement organisation, the statement stressed that: “The Service does not make laws but implement and enforce Government Fiscal policies as it concerns trade. Enforcement of these policies means compelling people to comply and this makes Customs work more difficult and challenging.” Recounting its successes in anti-smuggling, the statement noted that it’s aware that its clampdown on smugglers will earn more enemies for its personnel, but it maintained that there was no alternative to the anti-smuggling war.

“The government is making all efforts to ensure that all revenue meant for the government are collected and remitted and encourage local industries and revive industries that have been closed down due to smuggling activities. The launch of operation “hawk descend” an anti-smuggling campaign against the smugglers of frozen poultry products sometime last year witnessed a massive seizure of frozen poultry products across the country”, it stated.

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