The Tin Can Island Port Customs Area Command CAC, Comptroller Dera Nnadi has pledged to raise the command’s revenue collection, from its current 52 percent to 100 percent by December 2023. He vowed to resist every meddling interference on trade facilitation from unauthorised quarters

 The comptroller who made this pledge while taking over the command from Comptroller Oloyede, who has been redeployed to the Customs headquarters as Comptroller, Import and Export, solicited the support and collaboration of stakeholders to enable the command meet it’s over N801 billion annual revenue target.

“For us as a command, it is a daunting task but it is surmountable. You are all aware that Nigeria Customs Service has three key performance indicators – revenue, anti-smuggling, and trade facilitation.  “These three serve as yardsticks for measuring our performance. These indicators will always remain relevant in our discussion until we attain full development as a nation. “The command’s revenue target of over N801 billion currently stands at 52 percent with barely three months to the end of the year. It means that all of us here owe the country the responsibility to collect the balance of 48 percent. “This is especially at a time when the floating exchange rate is affecting importers and indirectly affecting clearing agents. This is a big but achievable task,” he said.

He noted that similarly, their roles in securing the nation were vast, including intervention against economic saboteurs, who disrupt and take advantage of the nation’s trade policy. “This also includes those who contribute to the insecurity of the country through the importation of illicit goods,” he said.

Nnadi, while affirming his resolve to rebrand the command, however, warned that the command under his leadership would not tolerate undue interference in trade matters urged all stakeholders, including clearing agents and terminal operators to respect the Customs mandate as a Service. “Everybody here, freight forwarders, terminal operators shipping companies, and other government agencies have their various mandates. “We will not tolerate undue interference with any other person’s privacy. Incursions by other people in trade matters have to stop. If we agree to equity, we must come with clean hands,” he said.

The new CAC promised to run an open-door policy to legitimate traders but shut his doors against fraudulent importers, whose desire was to shortchange the government of its revenue, illicit importation and smuggling.

Earlier, Oloyede urged officers and stakeholders including sister agencies, to extend the same support and collaboration given to him to the new Comptroller, whom he described as a trade facilitator. He noted that this would enable him to succeed and achieve the command’s revenue target.

 Oloyede urged the Clearing Agents to extend intelligence shared with the command in its anti-smuggling operation that led to the seizure of two containers of tramadol to the new helmsman. “I know we are already in the ember months, so the incoming Comptroller will need your support to be able to meet the revenue target and I know he is going to break my records.

“I also promise to give my support as the Comptroller in charge of Import and Export and ensure that, by God’s grace, he succeeds.