The Area Comptroller, Kano/Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Customs, Suleiman Pai Umar on Thursday said the local Rice industries under his command now thrive as a result of series of clamp down on importers of foreign rice by his men as directed by the Federal Government.
He said the Command’s operations are in line with the FG’s importation ban on foreign rice and some other items aimed at saving the local industries and have a robust economy as the State have Mills that produces the product with standard quality.
According to Umar, the Command counties to act under the CEMA Act Cap45 LFN, 2004 as amended, and section 147 which empowers them to search premises for uncustom goods and section 158 which empowers Customs Officers to patrol freely and to make arrest where applicable in order to enforce Government fiscal policies, this redoubled efforts he said has led to the scarcity of the foreign rice thereby giving the Local marketers the space to thrive.
Pai, speaking during a press conference revealed that the Command between January-August generated the sum of N16,909,520,467.32K attributing the success to rigrous and continuous awareness on ease of doing business which encourages citizens to patronize its terminals in the command.
The Area Comptroller listed items confiscated in the last three months to include; 707 bags of foreign rice with Duty Paid Value of N20,503,000, 155 bales of second hand clothes with DPV of N11,625,000 and 16 Jerry Cans of Vegetable oil with DPV of N334,000.
Others are: 130 cartons of spaghetti, 8 cartons of macaroni, 30 packs of mosquito coils, 10 cartons of Tiger Head Batteries, 6 sacks of snuff made in Ghana, 185 cartons of unregistered and expired drugs, 29 cartons of couscous as well as 231 cartons of milky creamer with total Duty Paid Value if N41,398,000.00.
However, the Customs Boss handed over to the State Coordinator, National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Shaba Muhammed lamenting that despite government’s efforts at addressing drug abuse which has been connected to all other serious crimes, some unscrupulous individuals continue to import such prohibited drugs.
He warned that the Service will not relent in carrying out its statutory duties of preventing prohibited products capable of jeopardizing the health of the citizenry from coming into the country at all cost.
Furthermore, Pai commended the dedication of his officers and cooperation of other units especially the Customs Intelligent Unit in their prompt information which has contributed to the success recorded and also assured that collaboration and synergy existing between the Customs and other Security Agencies will continue for more positive out comes.