Eastern customs command reveals how much it realized, Comptroller says fund below target

The Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), has said it has realized over N4.89 billion within nine months of its operation for the year.
The Area Comptroller, Compt. Suleiman MSJ, revealed this to pressmen as part of a stakeholders’ forum held earlier this week in Enugu at the headquarters of the NCS.

Suleiman stated that the N4.89 billion was about 45.3 percent of the projected revenue target of the command for the year, adding that the 2017 revenue target of the agency for the three States stood at N10.84 billion.
“The total amount realised as at September, from January 1 stood at Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety Five Million, Three Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Five Naira, Seventy Seven Kobo (N4, 895,311,805.77) representing 45.3 percent of the target for the year,” he said.
The Comptroller lamented at the figure and said that it was far below the expected revenue of approximately 11 billion Naira even as it was barely three months to the end of the year.
He maintained that part of the fall in realizing the fund for the year was due to the fact that remittances are not made as and when due, the fall in the standard of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport and lack of border areas in the three States under the command.
“The command is far below its targeted revenue for the year. What we have realized so far is approximately 5 billion Naira. If you compare the figure to our 11 billion Naira target, you would see that we are far behind our expectation. As you can see, we have barely October, November and December to cover up the remaining 6 billion Naira. Our sources of revenue are shaky. Akanu Ibiam International airport has its own issues, those that are supposed to do proper remittance are not doing it accordingly. The three States covered by the command have no land borders, with no frontier stations, rather it’s an excise oriented area with at least 20 excise factories under its control.
“Besides, only 14 excise factories are functional at the moment while six are temporarily closed down.” he added.

The Comptroller also used the opportunity to demand the prompt payment of arrears and returns on or before first of every month, as the headquarters is expected to render account on the fourth of every month. In the same vein, Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Raymond Okonkwo, charged stakeholders in freight industry to tackle facilities related problems at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
“There is a need for stakeholders who have interest in the development of the airport structure to come together to ensure that things are the way they should.
“The runway at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is not of the standard to attract international flights.
“When facilities at any airport runs short of international regulations, you know that there is a problem as no airline will put his aircraft at risk,” he said.

Also, Dr. Anthony Nkem Ohanyere, (mni), Enugu State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) raised concerns over upgrading the airport to international standard, urging all stakeholders, business men, government agencies and airline companies operating in the State to harmonize efforts in order to raise the standard of the Enugu international airport, adding that losing the airport due to neglect could be dire for customers, the State and agencies who derive their revenue from transactions going on there.
“In this situation, everyone is interested in making profits. The airline is interested in maximising profits, businessmen are interested in maximizing profits, Customs and other agencies are also interested in reaching their benchmark but there is one thing we should understand and that is, every new thing has its own challenges. When this Enugu airport was declared international, I wrote a report that it was going to challenge the fortunes of Lagos airports because most of the transactions there flow from the east and that the rise in commercial activities in Enugu was going to bring about a drop in those of Lagos but regrettably, it was only Ethiopian airline that began rendering international services in Enugu.”
“Now everyone is complaining; Customs are complaining they have not reached their 11 billion target for the year, Ethiopian airline is complaining that they are not getting customers and customers too are complaining that they cannot continue to patronize an airport where they go through hell before they can travel. In this situation, we need dialogue and a memorandum of understanding if we must move forward. Everyone has to take corrections and improve in their own capacity so that the business would move forward.”
“I want to warn, you must not allow this opportunity go. Since 1960, the people of Enugu have been clamouring for the upgrade of the airport to international standard. The time has come to make it work and stand,” he said.
He stressed that it was a task of all the people involved to pool resources in order to rescue and upgrade the airport, adding that it was due to nonchalant attitude and the mindset for extortion and inflation of everything in the area that led to the fall of Calabar seaport.

“When the first ship came to the Calabar seaport, it was as if everyone wanted to have their own opportunity once and for all. At that point, everything skyrocketed; rents, transport fare, and even road checkpoints increased by 200% and people were complaining that this may be the last and it was the last. Most of the secondary schools in the east are attributed to the communities but for those in the west, they are either college or grammar school. Roads, water and electricity were being provided by private individuals in the east. Everyone is now complaining that the airport has a problem, why don’t you, as stakeholders form an organization or a pressure group to channel and sensitize the governors to work on the airports in South east? You must show the initiative before the government can help. If you all decide to make the airport your priority, like Chief Mbakwe did in Imo State, which was inconceivable, it would become a reality. If only you mobilize and let the government know that this airport project is important to you, they would grant your request than writing to the government as an individual,” he said.