The Apapa Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs
Service says it did not seize any consignment
belonging to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Command’s Area Controller, Mr Eporwei
EdikeEdike, said this in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lagos on Friday.
He spoke against the backdrop of news reports which
alleged that the service seized the Federation’s
consignment for the football teams.
Edike said that the Federation was free to approach the
customs if they had any challenge.
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“Nobody is aware of such consignment and if NFF, a
government organisation, has such consignment and
after a day or two, it is not cleared, will they just sit
down like that?
“They should make enquiry or call their agent, ask the
agent what is happening.
“Where another day goes by, then, they should, with
their agent, come or call the PRO (Public Relations
Officer) to ask the PRO what is happening, If they
cannot reach the PRO, the DC Terminal.
“If they cannot reach the DC (Deputy Comptroller)
Terminal, their is the APM, if they cannot reach the
APM, the Area Controller is here.
“None of them has contacted any of us and we are not
aware of such consignment in the port.
“And of course, here, part of our mark here is that no
officer delays anybody’s papers on his table for more
than 10, 15 minutes, after then it (the officer) must let
his supervisor know.
“After about 10, 15 minutes, the next senior person
must also hear until it comes to the Area Controller’s
desk, but nobody has brought such to me. And NFF
too has not brought such report to me.
“We are not aware, we are not aware if NFF has any
consignment, not to talk of being here since
September.
“If they have, let them come and meet us, but then. If
they are also having other difficulties that they cannot
approach us, let them summon courage and come.
“We all appreciate what they are doing and if they
have any difficulty, once they meet us, we can see
how we can assist them, to make things easier for
them, so that Nigerians can be happy, because football
is something that makes everybody happy. ‘’
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Speaking on the clearance period for cargo, Edike said
that it would only take a day to clear consignment in
the port if the importer of any product had his or her
papers properly filed for processing.
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“If your papers are straight, you can start the same day
and go the same day. That means that you can obtain
customs release the same day.
“Now, once your papers are all in your hand and you
go to the DTI café, and you lodge, you pay.
“All of that is still what we call Trader’s Zone, because
there are two zones; there is a trader’s zone and there
isalso a Customs Zone.
“At the time you go to DTI café, you make your
lodgment, and after that, you go and pay.
“It is at the time you pay at the bank that this payment
hits customs server.
“That is when your declaration now comes to Customs
zone. You will then go to the terminal operator,
position the container for physical examination.’’
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The controller, however, warned that in cases where
people had queries to answer over value, quantity
declaration, the command would take it seriously to
ensure that government did not lose revenue.