NCS border security: Uncertainty over supply of $18.12m cargo scanners for sea ports
By Seun Ibiyemi
Barely a year after the Federal Executive Council (FEC), approved the purchase of $18.12million scanners for Port Harcourt and Tin Can Island ports to fast track port operations, Nigerian NewsDirect learnt that scanners are yet to be installed at the nation’s sea ports.
In August 2018, a former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, announced that FEC had approved N8.47 billion for the acquisition of three units of rapid mobile cargo scanners. Yet, not a single scanner was acquired by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Last year, FEC approved two contracts totaling N283.255 billion and a foreign component of $18.12 million for the purchase of boats and scanners for the NCS. The contract was awarded to Messrs Airwave Limited.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, explained that the first approval was for the revision of a contract that was previously approved by the council in 2018 for the supply and installation of three mobile cargo scanners to be installed at Onne, Port Harcourt and Tin Can seaports.
Also the NCS announced that three new scanners had been purchased by the Ministry of Finance and that an additional four would be purchased by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to boost trade facilitation.
Former Comptroller General of the NCS, Hameed Ibrahim Ali also disclosed that within the next six months, there would be seven functional scanners at strategic entry points even before the full deployment of the e-Customs components, which will see the deployment of 135 modern scanners to enhance border security and boost trade facilitation.
However, stakeholders have raised questions about the newly acquired scanners as well as the capacity to put them into optimal use.
Speaking with Nigerian NewsDirect, the vice president of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto doubted the availability of the scanners.
According to Farinto, “This current government does not have a serious policymaker.
“We are tired of shouting! When there is no instrument to work, how can the Customs work effectively? It is disappointing that despite the scanner is on PPP agreement, up till now nothing has been done
“The CBN also told us that the scanners they promised has arrived. Till now, we haven’t seen them.
“We are waiting, and by December, we will now ask them questions about the scanners they promised.”
The Zonal Coordinator, Zone A headquarters, Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG), Modupe Aremu recently disclosed that management of the service has concluded plans to deploy three scanners to the Lagos ports as part of efforts to tackle the congestions.
Aremu stated that management would soon switch over to a new electronic scheme that would further aid customs operations, saying the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) will see over 400 scanners deployed to various terminals across the nation’s ports.
She disclosed this over the weekend when a group of customs licensed agents paid a working visited to her office in Lagos with complaints of multiple alerts, lack of scanning equipment and shortage of personnel on cargoes escort.
“Three scanners are already about to be installed across the ports in Lagos.
“With E-Customs, there will be about 400 scanners for use across the ports in the country.”
She reiterated that compliance on the part of the shippers and freight agents was key in the line of cargo clearance processes and procedures.
“Compliance is the key, if there is honest declaration, nobody can stop your cargoes along the roads.”
Recall that the Minister said the contract was previously approved by council in 2018 for the supply and installation of three numbers rapsican mobile cargo scanner.
“These are large size cargo scanners that will be placed in Onne port, Port Harcourt port and Tin Can port. They are scanners that can actually drive containers through. That will fasten inspection and assist the Customs to open containers and do the physical inspection as they are doing now that is causing us a lot of time as well as loss of revenue.
“This contract is awarded to a company that is named Messrs Airwave Limited and the contract is in the sum of $18.12 million of foreign component, there is also local component of N3. 255 billion inclusive of five percent VAT.”
She revealed that the review became necessary in order to accommodate VAT which was not included in the initial contract and also due to dispute that we had arising from exchange rate differential.
“So we have now a resolution and an understanding and FEC approval for this contract to go on.”
The scanners are designed to aid effective revenue collection, the features that will screen for narcotics, weapons and undeclared items, they can also dictate arms and ammunition, legal importation and possession of arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria.
“The second memo we presented to council today is for the design, construction and supply of five numbers of fast ballistic reverie assault boats and five numbers patrol boats with all associated accessories in favour of Messre CY West African limited in the sum of N280, 992, 888,75 inclusive of 7.5 VAT.”
