Customs Generate N1.2bn In Ogun In Two Months

FREEPRESS — The Nigeria Customs Services, Ogun State Command on Thursday said it generated N1.2billion between January and February 2015.

The Command Comptroller, Haruna Mamudu, disclosed this during his presentation at the kick-off of the implementation of the Route Incident Mapping System jointly organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenarbeit in partnership with the Ogun State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture and Ogun State Government.

Mr. Mamudu, in his presentation at Legacy Resort, venue of the event in Abeokuta, said the new feat was higher than the same period of 2014, when over N1.03billion was realised as Internally Generated Revenue with a difference of N180million.

Mr. Mamudu also disclosed that the command impounded 54 trailers transporting rice illegally. The bags of rice, he said was later handed over to the Federal Government and subsequently, distributed to the needy.

He called on Nigerians to see Customs as partners in progress and avoid trading in contraband as it affected the nation’s economy negatively.

The representative of the mapping system’s advisory group, Alaba Lawson, noted that no nation could develop without traders because their roles in growing the country GDP could not be over-emphasised.

She said the mapping system was intended to enable traders move freely. She noted, as an example, that 16 road blocks were mounted between Badagry and Lagos, leading to traffic jams which delayed traders and prevented them getting to the market on time.

“So this is why TRIMS is coming on board,” she said. “I want to see a situation where traders will move their goods freely without harassment, intimidation and delay.”

Mrs. Lawson, who is the Iyalode of Yorubaland (South-West Women Leader), suggested to GIZ to sign a memorandum of understanding with traders and other stakeholders to ensure that goods were moved freely.

“I am speaking as a representative of all women in Nigeria because I know what they are passing through and feel their pains with regards to trading,” she said.

The Head of Programme, SEDIN/GIZ Nigeria, Christian Widmann, said the objective of the kick-off was to engage Ogun State stakeholder consortium, federal level partners, private sector stakeholders and the media on the objectives, methodology and strategy of the TRIMS project.

“All these initiatives aim at improving state reforms, strengthening the private sector and civil society in order to improve livelihoods of the people in Ogun State,” she said. “The TRIMS project is implemented in collaboration with a multi-stakeholder consortium consisting of civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, mobile network operators, media and other relevant and committed actors from the public and private sector.”