The Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has urged the Nigerian Customs Service to live up to its billing as an alternative revenue source for government in the face dwindling earning from the oil sector.
Ugwuanyi made the call during a courtesy call on him by the Controller General of Nigeria Customs Services, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) and his team at the Government House, Enugu.
He noted that the Nigerian Customs Service occupies a unique and prime position within the international supply chain of goods and services, commending the Col. Alli on the visible steps taken so far to restore sanity and discipline in the service.
He said, “We have always enjoyed the partnership and cooperation of the Nigerian Customs Services, especially in the areas of security and in protecting our people from the activities of smugglers, counterfeiters and other criminal elements.”
He urged the service to intensify and expand its enlightenment programmes to avail the people with adequate information regarding its operations and powers as well as the laws, regulations and procedures guiding various trade ventures and investment.
He also advised that the service seek to improve its system of addressing complaints from businessmen and ensure that its dealings with them are always guided by the principles of rule of law, justice, transparency and fairness.
Col. Alli said that having received necessary facts on assumption of office, he thought it wise to reach out t and see the work on ground, which, he said, was why he was in Enugu.
He noted that though Enugu was landlocked that might not require anything to do with custom services, but indigenes of the state are the service’s trading partners who work and earn their living through Customs regulated activities, noting that the state has one of the biggest brewery in the country that boosts government’s earnings.
Noting that the state also has an international cargo airport, which provides earnings for services, among others, he stressed that the Nigeria Customs services is the second revenue generating agency in Nigeria, after oil.
