Automobile dealers accuse Nigerian Customs Service of corruption

Automobile dealers whose shops were shut by the Nigerian Customs
Service in Lagos have accused the agency of corruption and
illegally sealing their business premises.

On September 30, officers of the Nigerian Customs Service
invaded and sealed up the shops of the dealers in Lagos without any
official notice.

At a press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday, the businessmen
expressed outrage over the closure of their shops for the past one
month.

The clampdown on automobile dealers across Nigeria by the
Nigerian Customs was to identify smuggled cars and underpaid
vehicles.

The automobile dealers staged a protest at the press
conference.

“We are really suffering, for the past one month, there has been
no business,” one of the businessmen shouted from the crowd.

Morgan Ogbede, the President of the Automobile Dealer’s Friends
Association in Lagos, said the businessmen were tired of alleged
extortion, harassment and intimidation they had suffered in the
hands of customs official for several years.

Mr Ogbede told PREMIUM TIMES that the present closure makes it
the third time the Customs would be sealing their business this
year. Although, the previous closures only lasted a few days after
some members visited the officials.

He said the reasons given by the customs were that there were
smuggled cars in their possession and cars whose duties were
underpaid.

“Our cars are duly cleared by the Nigerian Customs, we pay
duties on them. No vehicle can leave the port without being
cleared, they sign their release to us.”

Mr Ogbede said the association denied all the allegations from
the Customs because “almost all the members import cars through the
port and no car or truck will pass through the ports without custom
clearing procedures.”

He said their customers were also extorted by custom officials
on the roads while transporting the purchased vehicles outside of
Lagos. He said this had led to a reduction in patronage they
receive from people outside Lagos.

Monday Ubani, the legal counsel for the association, said the
action of the Customs officers was a “demonstration of gross
irresponsibility and unprecedented impunity and abuse of power.
“The Nigerian Customs & Excise Management Act gives them the
power to examine, mark, seal and take account of any goods upon
reasonable suspicion.

“Rather than doing the above, the Nigerian Customs sealed up the
entire premises without any form of examination or inspection of
papers,” Mr Ubani said.

He said that the action of the Nigerian Customs is not only
lawless but very oppressive.

While emphasising that the association was not encouraging
illegality, Mr Ubani said if there are cars suspected to be
smuggled, they should be evacuated from the premises and legal
actions taken, rather than sealing up entire businesses.

Ganiyu Afolabi, the Vice President of the Automobile Dealer’s
Friends Association, said the Nigerian Customs lacks good approach
and this does not portray them in a good image.

“Their intention at first was to find smugglers amongst us but
when they could not find them, they turned against us, the
legitimate dealers.”

Adebayo Adenihun, an automobile dealer said someone amongst the
Customs officials was shortchanging the government since automobile
dealers were not short-paying.
He requested that officers who sign at the entry and exit of
vehicles at the Port should be investigated.

“The Customs in Nigeria are still on analogue because they want
to shortchange the government. If we pay N1 million on our vehicle,
N600, 000 will show on our papers. ”

“Members are demanding that the Nigerian Customs create a portal
for payment where the dealers can also access their payments and
ensure they are correctly entered,” Mr Adenihun said.

Mr Ubani further disclosed that a letter has been written to the
Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs, giving him 14 days to
unseal all automobile business premises and pay a compensation of
N10 billion to the automobile dealers.

Phone calls and text messages to Joseph Attah, the spokesperson
of the Nigeria Customs Service were not replied.

The Permanent Secretary (Budget and  Planning),
Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr.
Ernest Umakhihe, has underscored the importance of building staff
capacities in Organisations, saying it is essential towards the
actualization of organizational goals.

Represented by the Director Human Resources, Mr. Lanre
Adekoya, during the closing ceremony of the stream 1, workshop
titled, Succession Planning and Mentoring, organized for Senior
Management Staff, comprising of Staff on Grade levels 14 -17, at
the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Mr. Umakhihe, said that the
Ministry places high premium on capacity building, explaining that
the Ministry will leave no stone upturned at ensuring
that it develops the requisite skill set needed by Staff to deliver
on their jobs.

He identified the absence of deliberate Succession
Planning and Mentoring Strategies as a major challenge affecting
consistency in organizations’ ability to deliver on their
mandates.

The Permanent Secretary therefore urged the
participants to ensure the proper utilization of the Knowledge
acquired during the workshop, to impact on their jobs. He further
commended the Management of Nasarawa State University for the
quality of the materials as well as for providing a conducive
environment for the workshops.

Speaking earlier, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa
State University Keffi, Prof. Akinyemi, thanked the management of
the Ministry for choosing the University to facilitate the workshop
adding that the University looks forward to more collaboration with
the Ministry in future.

Participants expressed satisfaction with the choice of
theme and quality of the presentations at the workshop and
commended the Permanent Secretary for organizing the workshop.

A similar workshop is also being organized for staff
on grade levels 06-13 as well as other staff on the technical
cadre. The series of training are deliberate actions
being taken by the Ministry to improve the ability of staff to
deliver on the its mandate. The workshop for the junior and
middle level officers is being facilitated by the Center for
Management Development (CMD) at the Grace Hill Hotel, Nasarawa
State.

The training will last for one week.

IFEANYI OKEREKE

For Director Information (MBNP)