Stakeholder condemns wild praises for Customs over 2020 huge revenue haul

Chinazor Megbolu. |.

The Vice President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Segun Musa has condemned the glowing tributes being showered on the Nigeria Customs Service over its homongous revenue haul of N1. 5 trillions in 2020.

He claimed there was nothing to celebrate about surpassing the annual target set by the agency at the beginning of 2020.

Musa noted there was nothing spectacular about the feat which he said was an indication of economic deterioration.

According to him; “I really do not know what to celebrate in economic deterioration.

“Each time the Customs decides to celebrates increase in revenue generation, I shed tears for this country because increase in imports revenue is an indication of imbalances in trade and economic nose dive.

“I keep wondering what kind of government would be rejoicing over import depending economy and expects job creation, infrastructural development, balance of payments, economy enhancements and rapid socio-economic development.

“It is unfortunate that our government has failed in its primary responsibility and it behoves on the intellectuals to buckle up in the constructive engagement of any future political classes willing to contest for executive positions in Nigeria”.

Recall that the Customs said it generated the sum of N1.5 trillion for the year 2020, in a statement credited to the Public Relations Officer, NCS, Mr. Joseph Attah on Wednesday.

The spokesman in the statement noted the amount realised was more than the target of N1, 380,765,353,462.00 and also more than the sum of N1, 342,006,918,504.55 generated in year 2019 despite the menace of Covid-19 pandemic.

The leadership of the organisation said the feat was due to determination of the agency to do the right things despite the global challenge of Covid-19 pandemic.