obi58:



That's why in my earlier post I clear highlighted the need for a serious government to take a good look at the NCS.

Caveatemptor:


It seems you are misunderstanding what a waiver is.
Waivers on duty are not issued by the customs.
Waivers are issued by the Federal government through the Minister of Finance.
Customs only implement waivers issued by the Ministry of Finance.
It is the party in power that fraudulently issue waivers to their political associates,cronies and friends.
This is not the fault of the customs. That is why the current Comptroller general is blaming the last administration for the number of waivers issued for 8 years that made revenue due to the government to fall short.
You might have other issues with the Customs but on the issue of waivers you can't fault them!

ogododo:


https://punchng.com/customs-lost-n1-3tn-to-buharis-waivers-for-investors-cg/

obi58:


Stop side stepping the main issue which is the corruption and inefficiencies of the NCS by deflecting it to the FMF because the NCS becomes very efficient in implementing or adhering to directives favorable to them but conveniently forget their primary responsibilities when it is not profitable to them.

Until the NCS becomes a professional institution devoid of corruption, the CG should focus on sanitising his house before blaming previous administrations.

He should be addressing why tanker loads of petrol were passing borders manned by his officials first and foremost and bringing forward efficient solutions to making the NCS more professional. If he is devoid of ideas he can consult with the new minister for interior who is doing wonders in the Immigration services and NIMC.

Caveatemptor:


Apparently you do not know how government works.
The propaganda going on with the ministry of Interior has taken you in. Hameed Ali did more than that during Buharis administration.
Using the press men to burnish your image is an efficient tool of propaganda.
Like I have told you earlier, if you have an issue with the Customs it is very fine. I don't object to that BUT on this issue of waivers the customs has no fault.

There is NO Customs officer that can refuse to honour a Federal government waiver signed by the Minister of Finance except that officer is tired of his job and desires to be sacked.

Once again Waivers are not issued by the Customs service but by the Federal government. Customs only implement.

Tariffs are not issued by Customs but by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance. Customs only implement and interpret these Tariffs to raise revenue for the Federal government in a discretionary way in order to allow the populace to breathe. I assure you that if the Customs interpret the import and export Tariffs to the letter,No body will be in the import and export business.

No Customs Comptroller general can oppose the Minister of Finance who is his boss as well as the chairman of the Customs board except he wants to lose his job.

It is apparent that you are an idealist and have no idea of how government is run nor do you appear to understand that after the revenue generated by the NNPC and the oil industry the Customs service has constantly and consistently generated the second highest revenue in this country.
The records are there. These are the facts.
Good day.

obi58:


The fact is also that the customs service is the most corrupt revenue generating agency of the government without peer.

Caveatemptor:


Give evidence of this.
You can't just feel something and then in an idealistic way pass it off as a fact.
How many revenue generating organisations did you compile to come up with this theory.
Give me a source or a verified survey for this your theory.

I can give you verified facts that the government has given the customs yearly revenue targets and they have consistently surpassed these revenue targets despite government waivers for the past 30 years.

obi58:


of all the revenue generating organisations, oil smuggling across the border was so rampant that the new president on day one of assuming office had to stop subsidy. which other evidence do you want?

Caveatemptor:


Apparently you do not know how government works.
The propaganda going on with the ministry of Interior has taken you in. Hameed Ali did more than that during Buharis administration.
Using the press men to burnish your image is an efficient tool of propaganda.
Like I have told you earlier, if you have an issue with the Customs it is very fine. I don't object to that BUT on this issue of waivers the customs has no fault.

There is NO Customs officer that can refuse to honour a Federal government waiver signed by the Minister of Finance except that officer is tired of his job and desires to be sacked.

Once again Waivers are not issued by the Customs service but by the Federal government. Customs only implement.

Tariffs are not issued by Customs but by the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance. Customs only implement and interpret these Tariffs to raise revenue for the Federal government in a discretionary way in order to allow the populace to breathe. I assure you that if the Customs interpret the import and export Tariffs to the letter,No body will be in the import and export business.

No Customs Comptroller general can oppose the Minister of Finance who is his boss as well as the chairman of the Customs board except he wants to lose his job.

It is apparent that you are an idealist and have no idea of how government is run nor do you appear to understand that after the revenue generated by the NNPC and the oil industry the Customs service has constantly and consistently generated the second highest revenue in this country.
The records are there. These are the facts.
Good day.

Caveatemptor:



Like I said,you know nothing about how government runs.
Have you ever visited the nations Borders.
Do you know that a border like Illela in Sokoto state has only one recognised official border but there are over 150 unofficial foot paths that are all roads to Niger Republic.
These foot paths run all along Nigerias borders with Niger and Chad. The officers have even been joined by police,soldiers, Navy,Immigration and DSS operatives along these footpaths and yet they cannot stop petroleum smuggling because the borders are too vast and there are too many footpaths.
These officers are working in hostile atmosphere because the border communities feel it os their birth right to engage in smuggling.

ARE YOU SAYING THAT POLICING OF THE BORDERS IS HOPELESS? IF THE NCS IS BEREFT OF IDEAS, THEY CAN SEEK TECHNICAL SUPPORT FROM THE US AND SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER PATROLS! IF THE FG CAN CONCESSION PIPELINE MONITORING TO ND MILITANTS I SEE NO REASON WHY NCS CANT PROVIDE MONETARY INCENTIVE TO KEY FIGURES IN SUCH COMMUNITIES TO POLICE SAME. ALL THESE EXCUSES PERSIST BECAUSE PEOPLE'S JOBS IN THE CUSTOMS ARE NOT ON THE LINE AND STIFF PUNISHMENT ARE NOT METED OUT TO CORRUPT OFFICIALS AS DETERRENT. THESE THINGS YOU LISTED ABOVE ARE JUST EXCUSES.

These officers are working with poor equipment because the government has refused to provide proper equipment to man the borders which are small planes and proper communication gadgets.
The relationship with border communities is very uncordial.
Some rivers at the border run through Nigeria and Cameroon like at Ikang border station in Cross River state and government has not provided small boats to man these border Rivers.

EXCUSES.... IF WITH ALLL THE REVENUE GENERATED BY THE NCS THEY ARE UNABLE TO ADDRESS THEIR EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING ISSUES THEN THEY ARE ARCHITECTS OF THE ONGOING CORRUPTION AND THEIR FAILURES TO DISCHARGE THEIR DUTIES PROPERLY. IF AN EXTENSIVE WHISTLEBLOWING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE SYSTEM WITH APPROPRIATE INCENTIVES FOR USEFUL INFORMATION PROVIDED AND APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS METED OUT TO ERRANT OFFICIALS RANGING FROM JOB LOSS TO LENGTHY JAIL TERMS, I AM QUITE SURE THAT OVERNIGHT CORRUPTION IN THE SERVICE WOULD BE REDUCED TO THE BAREST MINIMUM AND FOR THE FOOLHARDY WHO DARE TO PERSIST IN THEIR WRONG WAYS BECAUSE OF GREED, APPROPRIATE EXAMPLES SHOULD BE MADE OUT OF THEM. IVE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SMUGGLING RICE AND TYRES FROM CAMEROUN AND THEY ALL CONFIRM THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING THOSE ITEMS TO NIGERIA WITHOUT SETTLING NCS OFFICIALS.

There are houses at Idi Iroko Station where the front part of the house is in Nigeria while the back part of the house is in Benin Republic. Tell me how officers will police such a house?

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PETROL TANKERS. TANKERS SURELY HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH FOOTPATHS AND HALF HOUSES. THOSE ARE JUST EXCUSES TO JUSTIFY FAILURE. WHY SHOULD YOU ALLOW STRUCTURES TO BE BUILT ON BORDER LINES IF NOT TO ALLOW SMUGGLING. ALL SUCH STRUCTURES WITHIN 50KM OF THE BORDER LINES SHOULD BE DEMOLISHED PRONTO! NO EXCUSES!!!

The problem with some of you is you see a few corrupt officers working in sea ports like Apapa and Tin can Island ports who do not constitute up to 5% of the total work force and then decide to tar every officer as corrupt.

DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE CORRUPTION IN THE PORTS!!! THAT'S A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY. OF COURSE NOT EVERY CUSTOMS OFFICIAL IS CORRUPT BUT YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT THE NCS IS NOT IN DESPERATE NEED OF OVERHAUL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OVER CORRUPTION. WHEN IT COMES TO MEETING REVENUE TARGETS WE DON'T HEAR STORIES PROVIDED CORRUPTION IS ALLOWED TO PERSIST. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO STOPPING OIL SMUGGLING AND THE LIKES THEN WE START HEARING CHALLENGES AND STORIES. WHO IS FOOLING WHO?.

I advise some of you if you are still within the recruitment age to apply and join so that you can fight this so called corruption from inside the service.
It is when you get inside you will realise that it is not what you think and the understand that khaki no be leather.
My last response to you and your idealism.

THIS IS NOT IDEALISM BUT REALISM. UNTIL THIS GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING CORRUPTION, UNTIL WE STOP THINKING CHALLENGES AND START THINKING SOLUTIONS WE ARE GOING TO KEEP HEARING ALL THESE KINDS OF EXCUSES WHY CORRUPTION CANNOT BE CONQUERED IN THE NCS.

UNTIL A CLIMATE OF ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION IN THE SERVICE IS BUILT, WE WILL KEEP HAVING OFFICIALS WHO WHINE ABOUT POOR EQUIPMENT AND WHAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO FOR THEM MEANWHILE THEY AMASS ILL GOTTEN WEALTH BY ENABLING SMUGGLING SYNDICATES AND GETTING THEIR OWN PERCENTAGE THUS DEPRIVING THE COUNTRY OF A GOOD PORTION OF ITS REVENUE

Takasufe:
Well done Sir

Ikaeniyan0:
Why did Buhari give waivers to cement and sugar producers?