- As CBN releases $300m to foreign airlines
The Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port, Y. U Bashar this week assessed how the Command has netted N207.8 bn within 10 months, in addition to uncovering 214.732 kilograms of cocaine last month and declared that the Command is now impregnable for sharp practices.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) just confirmed that the eight bags, containing 200 pieces of unidentified substance found in a 20ft container No. CMAU 045195/0 is not only cocaine, but also ranks among the highest in terms of confiscated volume in the country, in recent times.
“I am confident that with the measures which we have put in place, it will be practically impossible for anybody to manipulate or circumvent the process without being caught”, indicated Comptroller Yusuf Bashar, adding that with the recent commendation from the Customs Comptroller General, Col Hameed Ali to the Command for being at the Vanguard of due diligence and professionalism, “all hands are on deck in all ramifications”.
Taking a hard look at the revenue profile of the Command which, between January and October 2016 came to N207,838,450,974, the CAC said he was happy with the alertness of his officers and men, stressing that his greatest concern rest squarely with the agents and importers.
““A major constraint which we have continued to address is the issue of false declaration, deliberate misapplication of harmonized system code on items among other infractions”, he explained, describing the cocaine seizure as a “remarkable seizure, considering the well articulated Intelligence Coordination Mechanism adopted and harnessed by the Command in its resilience to achieve desired results”.
“All hands are on deck in all ramifications to ensure that Tincan Port continues to blaze the trail especially with the recent commendation from the CGC and Management to the Command for being at the Vanguard of due diligence and professionalism”, he indicated further.
Speaking on the whopping revenue of N207.8bn, Bashar the sum represented a positive trend in consideration of the prevailing economic recession which has become a global phenomenon.
It would be recalled that Bashar, on assumption of office few months ago, had re-jigged the Operational and Revenue generating capacity of the Command through some far reaching measures aimed at blocking all identifiable areas of Revenue leakages.
During a recent meeting with key stakeholders in the Maritime Industry, the Controller had actually charged them to continually educate and sensitize members of their various organizations on the need to support the Federal Government and the Nigeria Customs Service through honest declarations in all their documentation.
In the meantime, to cushion the effect of the cash squeeze affecting foreign airlines flying into Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released $300 million out of the $600 million airlines fund stuck in the country.
Some of the airlines have either stopped coming into Nigeria or are threatening to stop because of the inability to remit their money out of the country.
Minister of State (Aviation) Hadi Sirika, who broke the news to the airlines after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, said the balance would soon be released.
Sirika said: “Government through the CBN has made available $300 million out of the $600 million of the airlines’ funds stuck in Nigeria to pay the airlines to demonstrate its commitment to the sector.
“And with devaluation, $600 million could be $1 billion. With government intervention they have been given $300 million and gradually we will clear everything and once that happens, they (airlines threatening to quit) are not going anywhere.”
On the airlines’ threat to leave Nigeria, he said: “I think it is a response to how the industry is doing globally, especially Nigeria with recession, our inability to get the airlines to repatriate their currency that they earn through sales of tickets.
“They find it very difficult to operate and do business. Their inability to get Jet A1 at some point, and for other operational reasons; I did say that these are commercial decisions that the airlines will take but with the way the routes are and with what we have been doing to correct these things that any airline will pull out.
“A 100 per cent of foreign exchange being required by local airlines is being provided now. Aviation is dollar denominated, you buy aircraft in dollar, you service in dollar, you train your crew in dollar; you do everything in dollar. And we simply do not have the dollar to pay these airlines. But now as we are talking
“Nigeria has a population of 177 million serving west and central Africa, 600 million people market, double that of United States, half of India, equal to Europe; so this is a very important market and they know and they will stay here. I believe we are also offering them incentives.”
The government, he said, has been talking to airlines, such as Egypt Air, British Airways, Turkish Air, which fly in Nigeria with undesirable aircraft while they put better aircraft on other routes
“However, some of them are constrained by some of the infrastructure we have in place. For example, Emirate will love to bring the kind of aircraft they fly around the world but the apron in Abuja is not supporting that service. That is why the aircraft they take to Lagos is different from the one they take to Abuja.
“That inadequacy is also being addressed and once that is done, we will have befitting aircraft coming. This has always been a challenge.
“But the most important incentive is that between now and Wednesday we will appoint transaction adviser for the national carrier. Once that is in place, Nigerians will have options, there will be competition, good aircraft and this will bring the price down.” Sirika, a pilot, said.
The minister also announced that yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting approved additional N1.57 billion for the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the Port Harcourt airport.
According to him, FEC approved the rehabilitation cost of the international wing of the airport from N777,726,669.30 to N1,684,520,310.58 for the original contractor Messes Entaba.
The second project, he said, is the refurbishment of the airport terminal building phase II domestic wing from N746,830,782.12 to N1,411,662,855.67
“So, very soon we will complete that very important airport, especially the arrival hall. Port Harcourt airport has been tagged the worst airport in the world but by the grace of God and the wisdom of council, it will be completed,” he added.
Sirika also said FEC approved the ratification of climate change Paris agreement and bilateral agreement against double taxation with Kenya.
He said there would be improved security and more parking spaces at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja after it is concessioned.
Additional report from Nation
