Bringing Human Face Into Customs Operations
With the harsh economic climate, living in Seme a border town between Nigeria and Benin republic is not easy for the indigenous population, especially when there are no Government jobs or private sector jobs that will keep the people going.
By Ovie Edomi
Hence the temptation of keeping the body and soul together have made young adults and elderly people result to crossing rice, smuggling fuel and engaging in other vices that are considered immical to Customs operations. But hate it or love it, the indigenes and those who live in the border towns in Seme and across other borders towns in Nigeria, have continued to engaged in smuggling activities.
The Controller of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Timi Bomodi while speaking on the Command’s impressive revenue generation for the 2023 fiscal year, which grew by over 322 percent, noted that the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a revenue generation of N2.6bn in five months.
Accordingly he said the Command also recorded seizures which duty paid value was put at N800million for the same period.
Bomodi told newsmen, “the Command has continued to sustain the tempo in the area of revenue generation. In the period under review, we collected a total N 2, 634, 190, 645.53 only. This amount surpasses that of 2023 for the same period by 272%.”
On anti-smuggling, the Controller said the Command recorded 474 interception of various contraband items within the period under review.
Among the items, according to him, were 12,448 Jerrycans x 30 liters each which is equivalent to eight (8) tanker loads, rice: 6,467 Bags of 50kg, which is equivalent to 10 trailer loads, 15 used vehicles, 1, 251parcels of cannabis sativa”
He said that the Command noticed that there has been a marked increase in the illegal importation of cannabis from Ghana, adding that different methods have been used by criminals in their efforts to beat our officers, but added that all their efforts have been neutralized.
Meanwhile, it was a worried Comptroller Bomodi, who told this Reporter that the Command which he served as a young officer in the early 90s has not changed in terms of development of the local environment, a development he said continues to promote smuggling. Hence returning to Seme as a Controller, he said the story must change therefore, he is currently working on a Skills Acquisition Centres SAC for dwellers within the border towns and villages as a way of giving them genuine sources of livelihood so as to shun smuggling and other criminal activities.
A Customs Clearing Agent, Mr Frank Itobe told this Reporter in Seme border that the ability of Comptroller Bomodi to conceive a skill acquisition programme of this magnitude is not only novel but something that will benefit the indigenes and the people living around the border towns.
The Skill acquisition centre was expected to be completed in June. Afterwards, not less 100 to 200 people will be trained in different skills. It is expected that after the training, a market will be created within the border town. According to the CAC, it will be duty free shops like a mall where people going out of Nigeria to Benin republic or other West African countries can stop by to do shopping like you find at the airport. According to him, it will be a market for made in Nigeria goods. And the goods can be exported. Our plan is to change the narrative about the border towns and the indigenes. It is another way to combat border crime. The indigenes of the border towns are not necessarily lazy especially if they have something legitimate to do, they want to work. Besides the Seme border CAC noted that the skills acquisition initiative will add economic value to the nation.
The Seme CAC seemed to have drawn his experience from China which lifted millions of people from poverty and made them major contributors to the nation’s economy. Similarly the rehabilitation of Niger Delta youths after the introduction of the amnesty programme was another case scenario that may have made him go to the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC to get his approval to establish the skills acquisition centre in Seme.
An insider says tailoring, making of adire, beads, soaps, cream, foot mat, bags, baking, and so on are some of the skills that will be learnt at the skills acquisition centre.
Meanwhile, CAC Bomodi has other achievements to his credit since his assumption of duties. He attributed this feat to several factors, which include the dismantling of some checkpoints on the ever-busy trade corridor on assumption of duty, which has boosted traders’ confidence. His inter-agency and Community relations among others.
For now, those living in Seme border and its environs especially the indigenes should be ready for a better life with better skills. Courtesy of the new Customs boss.