Lagos -Maritime activities closed on Friday with the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) requesting for new water crafts and Hilux vehicles to boost its anti-smuggling operations.
The Controller of the Command, Comptroller Yusuf Umar, said the needs were made known to the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Zone `A’, Mr Eporwei Edike, when the latter visited the command.
He said the command’s primary duty base was along the coastal areas, adding that officers needed more efficient speed boats to combat smuggling along the inland waters.
Also in the week under review, the Western Marine Command paraded five foreign nationals suspected to be among dealers of smuggled petroleum products in the country.
Umar said the suspects, from the Republic of Benin, were intercepted on the high sea with 114 empty drums in a wooden boat with the help of some officers of Nigerian Navy.
The controller said the timely interception of the products by customs operatives frustrated the smugglers’ plans.
Similarly, during the week, a joint effort by the customs service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered a consignment of 576 kilogrammes of narcotics concealed in food items meant for export.
The zonal coordinator of customs said the NCS would carry out physical examination of the 10 containers meant for export to further search for more illegal consignments.
Edike, who conducted newsmen round the containers bearing the narcotics, had earlier urged officers to ensure a thorough examination of containers meant for export.
He said this became necessary to avoid the exportation of sub-standard goods which could tarnish the image of the country.
In his tour of various commands under the zone, Edike advised officers to always wear their correct ranks so as to look presentable always.
He advised officers to avoid any act of misconduct while working to meet revenue targets.
Similarly, the Commander, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Abraham Adaji, said preliminary investigation showed that the suspects came to Nigeria on the invitation of pipeline vandals who were trading in stolen petroleum products.
He said the illegal act was at the detriment of the nation’s economy.
Also, during the week, the Coordinator of the African Union Agenda 2063, Mr Simon Mabote, said Africa was set to generate 50 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product from its ocean resources.
Mabote said the focus was to ensure that specific interventions including port and shipping operations benefited Africans, while the resources were properly harnessed.
He said part of the agenda was to ensure that from 2014 to 2023, local ship owners should be able to transport about five per cent of the local cargo tonnage.
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NAN reports that `Agenda 2063’ refers to the transformation agenda and plan adopted by Africa’s Heads of States in January.
The agenda is a 50-year framework, which has been divided into five 10-year plans.
Also in the week under review, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) shut Obat Oil and Petroleum Jetty at Ibafon over non-compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
It said in a statement that the jetty failed to comply despite repeated warnings and extension of time granted its management over the past year.
NIMASA said it would shut port facilities which had persistently failed to comply with the ISPS Code.
It said that this would forestall a situation where security breaches in such facilities would negatively impact those who were complying.
The statement said NIMASA was working to achieving 100 per cent compliance to guarantee security of ships and port facilities.
Also, two master mariners during the week, advised the Transport minister, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to visit the Lagos Ports for an on-the-spot assessment.
Capt. Tajudeen Alao and Capt. Adewale Ishola said the visit would give the minister first-hand information required to address the myriad of problems confronting the ports.
They advised the minister to have a mechanism in place to ensure a free-flow of cargoes in and out of the ports. (NAN)
