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Apapa Customs accuses Presidential task team of extorting truckers

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By Dapo Olawuni      |            

The Customs Area Comptroller (CAC) Apapa, Comptroller Abba Kura has accused the Presidential task team set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to see to free flow of traffic in and out of the Apapa/Tin Can Port Axis of extorting truckers.

Speaking  during the visit of an ad hoc committee on Eastern Port who visited the Lagos Port yesterday led by Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee investigating the non-functionality of the 6 eastern Ports, Kura responding to a question raised by Hon. Ossy Prestige a member of the committee, as to why there is congestion at the Apapa Port, said there was no congestion at the port but rather the problem in the port are infrastructural problems.

He added that the traffic in and out of the Apapa port has not been resolved due to lack of discipline, alleged bribery and extortion of truckers by the Presidential task team set up to see to the free flow of traffic at the port.

According to him “we have infrastructure problem in the port we don’t have congestion in the port, also lack of discipline has also contributed to this even the Vice President gave a 72 hours directive or deadline people still refuse to comply.

“So many taskforce are put on the road but we have seen what they are doing, they will collect money from truckers who are not on the line and allow them access into the port and those who are on the line or transit park will remain there for weeks and this have also contributed to the issue of traffic situation in Apapa”.

Prestige, the honourable member from Aba North Federal Constituency, had earlier stated that the traffic gridlock at the Apapa Port is like a national embarrassment and therefore looking at how the committee can partner the customs in solving it.

Responding to why the command has yielded to physical examination of consignment when it is not so even in the other neighboring ports, the Comptroller stated that a lot of politics was played about the scanners and that is why the command is yet to get the scanners thereby leaving the command with no choice but to resort to physical examination of cargoes, adding that most importers are not truthful.

“yes there was scanners but the ministry of Finance took away the scanners to those who cannot handle it properly, and that is why it is not working, even last week some people came to check it, so it has been like that, it has been in a epileptic kind of state it will work today, and tomorrow it will just stop working so this is the situation of the scanner”.

On why the service is yet to comply with the single window directive, Kura stated that  single window is in place as they have the Standard Organization of Nigeria on their platform with other relevant agencies, but not all agencies, he stated that what is happening in the Nigeria port is an aberration and different from what takes place in other countries’ portsq.

“what is happening in Nigeria is different from what is happening in every other ports,you can only find customs at the other ports you won’t see different multi agencies at the port, but in Nigeria we have so many agencies of government in the port and this is not good enough.”

The Chairman of the Committee Yussuf Buba however stated that lack of synergy between the agencies has affected the implementation of the single window platform, he thereby urge relevant agencies to synergies together to have the single window in place.

Buba also stated that the issue of bribery or extortion of truckers by the Presidential task team will be investigated and whoever caught will be sanctioned.

The committee will be visiting the Warri Port today and the other eastern port to find a lasting solution to the issue of lack of patronage.

Hon Buba also earlier stated that “the government at the highest level has been doing everything to make sure the eastern port is put to work for instance when you talk about dredging which is a major factor why big vessels cannot move into the eastern ports.

“A lot of contracts has been given out for dredging and government has been paying money but where you have lapses on the part of contractors not delivering or the agencies responsible to make sure these contracts are delivered have gone to sleep.

“If they have delivered or not, have they taken government money or taken public funds without delivering, that is what we will find out and other problems and make sure the ports are dredged”

© 2019, maritimemag. All rights reserved.

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