In a bid to promote best practices and enhance trade facilitation, the Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has approved the dissolution of CGC’s Strike Force Teams with immediate effect and directed the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) to take over their responsibilities across the country.
A statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) for the Acting Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), maintained that the development is in tandem with the CGC’s vision of ensuring result-oriented anti-smuggling strategies while facilitating legitimate trade.
“Consequently, he charged the Federal Operations Units and other anti-smuggling formations the marching order to use all the instruments of law available to discharge their duties. He also directed strict adherence to enshrined Standards Operating Procedures (SOP) and rules of engagement, while dealing decisively with economic saboteurs.
“To ensure transparency and accountability, all anti-smuggling formations have also been mandated to boldly ascribe their names on all operational vehicles to checkmate the possibility of excesses, misconduct and human rights abuse,” the statement reads.
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It would be recalled that the Ag. CGC, in his maiden address, stated unequivocally that all cumbrances and other obstacles to trade facilitation will be dismantled while fostering a new culture of consultation and compliance.
In a related development, Adeniyi charged the Murtala Mohammed Cargo Command, Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos to accelerate non-stop cargo clearance and urged the command to work in synergy with the terminal operators and other partner agencies while being diligent in the fight against arms smuggling.
Adeniyi gave the charge, yesterday, during the tour of the command, terminal facilities and other agencies in company of the Controller of the Command, Comptroller Sani Yusuf.
He also charged the officers of the command to aim for excellence, be security conscious and work hard to rid the nation of illicit drugs, as the command is known to have intercepted large volumes of drugs in recent times.
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