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Food inflation: Customs to smoke out food hoarders
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it is determined to smoke out food hoarders as part of its contribution to checking inflation, the Comptroller General (C-G), Adewale Adeniyi has stated.
“The service will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that business of food hoarders is unprofitable,”Adeniyi said during a media briefing of the agency’s achievements in the past one year, at its headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that as part of NCS‘s efforts to ensure food security and suppress smuggling of food in and out of the country, the service recorded 1,744 cases of rice and grains seizures valued at N4.4billion.
“These concerted efforts underscore the NCS’s commitment to protecting society and ensuring national security,’’ he said.
He said that in the past on year, one of the leading policy measures it implemented was the transition from the repealed Customs and Excise Act of 2004 to the newly signed Nigeria Customs Service Act of 2023.
He explained that the new act strengthened the modernisation of NCS operations, compliance, and enforcement, with features that promoted innovation within the service.
The C-G emphasised that the new act also formed the basis for several trade facilitation measures, currently being pursued by NCS, including the recent transition from Fast Track 2.0 to the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) concept.
He highlighted that the Advanced Ruling system, which also originated from the act, represented a significant advancement in aligning NCS operations with global best practices.
“This initiative is now at an advanced stage of implementation,’’ he said.
He added that Time Release Study was also inaugurated in February to identify and address bottlenecks in the clearance process, aimed at easing trade facilitation.
The C-G further noted that it decongested ports and reopened previously inaccessible access roads.
“In response to the need for dedicated terminals to process export goods, the NCS command at the Port of Lilypond was designated to handle export transactions.
”Other targeted measures to jointly facilitate trade and enhance revenue collection by the service include implementation of the presidential approval, to decongest the ports area and to improve logistics around the port in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
“NCS also commenced 24-hour clearance at the Port of Tincan Island, Lagos, in line with the Presidential Directive to enforce 48- hour clearance of goods,’’ he said.
According to the customs boss, NCS also implemented measures to address national security concerns, which include strengthening and reinforcing the Federal Operating Units to pursue, intercept, arrest, and dismantle smuggling networks.
He said that new frontiers of interagency cooperation were established with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), finalising arrangements to integrate both systems to minimise the registration of smuggled vehicles.
“The service also commenced engagement with critical stakeholders like the Health Federation of Nigeria (HFN), with the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance, to facilitate the clearance of medical goods.
“This collaboration aims to ultimately reduce challenges and costs, making these services more affordable for Nigerians and specifically targeting the Presidential Priority Areas on healthcare,’’he said.
He said that NCS was recently ranked by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) among the top five Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The assessment was conducted among 36 MDAs, with NCS achieving a perfect score of 100 per cent, marking 81.5 per cent increase from its previous average scores of 18.45 per cent between 2020 and 2022, and 18.53 per cent in 2023.
By Umar Akilu Majeri Dutse
The Jigawa State Government has dissolved the executives of all 27 local government areas in the state, according to a statement signed by Malam Najib Umar, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Government.
The decision was made following the expiration of their tenure.
The Jigawa State Ministry for Local Government and Community Development has directed the Director Administration and General Services (DAGs) of all the 27 Local Governments of the state to take over the affairs of the administration.
Therefore, all appointed officials including; Secretaries, Supervisory Councillors, Special advisers and assistants of all the Local Government Councils are equally relieved of their appointments.
In his remarks, on behalf of the Jigawa State Government Under the leadership of His Excellency, the Governor Malam Umar A. Namadi FCA, the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development Hon. Ahmed Garba MK, Congratulates the outgoing officials on the Successful Conduct of their tenures, which shows the significant contributions rendered to the development of their areas and the state in general.
He therefore tasked them to hand over all the necessary documents on their possession with immediate effect ,also advised the out going executive to hand over the of all Governments’ Belongings in their possessions to the directors of administration’s and finance
One person was confirmed dead in an accident that occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos on Saturday morning.
The fatal accident involved a Mini Truck (MUS 489 XS) and a Toyota Camry (KRD 470 JD).
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by excessive speeding during a heavy downpour this morning,” the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said in a statement.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, in the statement signed by Mr Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, said that three others were rescued at the accident scene.
He said that operatives of LASTMA responded swiftly to the accident, which occured near the Unilag waterfront, heading towards the Iyana-Oworonsoki area of Lagos.
Giwa said that despite the government’s ongoing campaign to educate motorists about speed limits, drivers continued to flout the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.
He urged both commercial bus drivers and private car owners to avoid exceeding speed limits on the Third Mainland Bridge and other roads throughout the state.
Giwa said that the deceased was promptly removed by State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) officials, while LASTMA cleared the accident vehicles to ensure smooth traffic flow on the bridge.
He extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and emphasised the importance of road safety.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called for financial, administrative and political autonomy for local governments.
The NULGE National President, Mr Ambali Olatunji, said in Lagos on Saturday that the autonomy was important for Nigeria to grow its gross domestic product more and curb insecurity.
Olatunji said: “We must make local governments to be financially, administratively and politically autonomous.
“We must consider community policing, so that there must be guarding at the community level.
“Our policing policy should not be reactionary, but pre-emptive to be able to address insecurity.
“Our opinion is that the local government must be the platform for policing evolution in Nigeria.”
The labour leader also called on the Federal Government to create a policy that would address unemployment at the local government level.
He called for revival of the vocational skills acquisition department of local governments.
According to him, this will ensure that women and youths in the rural communities are trained and empowered.
“The vocational skills acquisition department across local governments has been erased systematically, overtime.
“This level of government should be given adequate attention to address the needs of those in the rural settings.
“It will go a long way to improve livelihoods and ensure a better Nigeria for everyone,“ Olatunji said.
Jigawa Govt dissolves 27 LG executives
Troops nab 47 suspected rail track vandals in Kaduna
