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The Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Ports Command, Nigeria Customs Service(CAC), Comptroller Dera Nnadi has said that the Command has upgraded its revenue collection efforts in a bid to meet the N801bn target for the year.
Expressing optimism of meeting the target, Nnadi told members of the League of Maritime Editors (LOME) during a courtesy visit that knowing that one of the key performance indicators for any Customs Command is revenue collection, he has since mobilized his officers to do their best in meeting the required target.
He said that this is significant considering that the present government needs all the money that can be generated to run the national economy.
Nnadi added that considering that his command is second to the largest revenue generating command, he saw it as a very big challenge to upgrade the revenue collection effort.
He disclosed that through the hardwork of officers, the Command has been able to reduce the remaining target of 48 percent he met on ground as the time he assumed office in September to 32 percent.
He also said that part of the strategies he adopted on assuming office was to raise the daily target of N3.3bn to N5.2bn daily.
He acknowledged that the Command has been doing well in the new target it set for itself.
He explained, “Before our daily target was N3.3bn. When I assumed office, I increased it to N5.2bn
“They say if you want to aim at the top of the tree, aim at the moon so that if you don’t get to the moon, you end up at the top of the tree. We try to get that’.
Describing this as a big challenge since the cargo throughput dropped, he said that the Command has so far met the N5.2bn target.
Admitting that though this was not always the case, he however said sometimes over N4bn, N4.5bn are realized, other times going back to N2.7bn, one day N7.6bn and last week over N9bn, in one of the days.
He opined that what this means is that his officers have really been working hard.
He attributed his success so far in the Command to the cooperation he has been receiving from the customs agents and officers of the Command.
The Controller commended customs agents and appealed to them to always do the right thing by following the rules and regulations.
He urged customs agents to also educate their importers to do the right thing of keeping to the rules of engagement.
The Customs Controller described those clearing goods at the ports as three categories – the very compliant ones, those who try to do it right, those who are not compliant out of ignorance and the recalcitrant ones who will not want to change.
It would be recalled that the the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Ngozi Okwara, had said that the arrival of Nnadi as the twentieth Area Controller Tincan Island Port Area Command has proven that norms can be reformed.
The statement disclosed that “precisely 11 working days after his resumption, a commendable milestone was achieved”, adding that the “Command surpassed its monthly target by 120 percent”.
The President of LOME, Chief Timothy Okorocha had during the visit commended the Controller for doing a good job.
Okorocha said that he had no doubt that he will do well in Tin Can Island Port Command considering his past commendable efforts at bringing about transformation in the Seme Customs Command where he served before coming to the present Command.
The LOME President also informed the Controller of its forthcoming 25th Anniversary coming up in December.
Nnadi who welcomed members of League congratulated them for the appointment of someone they have always supported in the past 25 years, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR as the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service and other achievements.
He said, “I want to congratulate you on the appointment of someone you have always supported in the last 25 years- the Comptroller General of the Nigeria customs service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, who has just been confirmed as the substantive Comptroller General of the customs
“I also want to congratulate all of you and thank you for grooming several players in the industry too.
Some have also become Editors in their own capacity but are yet to be admitted into your fold. Some recently just graduated from some of you, they are making waves in the industry. It goes to show the kind of capacity all of you here deliver in the industry.
Finally, let me congratulate all of you for your recently acquired secretariat”.
