Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi
John Iwori
In a bid to facilitate trade, Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has stepped up what he called ‘Customs Consultative Committee (CCC)’.
Though it inherited some of its members, with its establishment, CCC has replaced the former Customs Joint Committee on Monitoring and Compliance (CJCMC).
Abdullahi announced the establishment of the nascent body, when members of the former CJCMC, led by its Chairman, and NCS Zone ‘A’ Zonal Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General Victor Osita Gbemudu, submitted a report to the management of NCS at Customs Headquarters, Abuja.
He charged members of the CCC to swing into action by monitoring the levels of compliance by men and officials of NCOS, as well importers and their agents. He enjoined them to report whatever hinders trade facilitation in the course of their work, with a view to tackling them headlong.
Abdullahi lauded the exemplary work done by the members of the former committee in spite of the challenges they faced. He also announced the provision of a brand-new bus to the CCC even as he assured that suitable office accommodation would be provided for the committee in order to facilitate the execution of its brief.
He disclosed that individual members of the committee would be issued their respective letters of appointment to further facilitate their work.
THISDAY recalled that the Joint Committee on Monitoring and Compliance was set up by Abdullahi when he led other top brass of NCS to a maiden Town Hall Meeting with a cross section of importers and licensed customs agents at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, on March 3, 2012.
The membership of the committee was drawn from the Customs, importers, Customs agents and the media.
They include the Zonal Coordinator, NCS Zone ‘A’, as Chairman; Chief Superintendent Ini Ukpanah, Secretary; Comptroller Michael Adedeji Adewale, Comptroller, Administration, NCS Zone ‘A’; Controllers, Tin Can Island Port Area Command, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Apapa Area One Command, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Area Command, Comptrollers Isa Nuhu, Dan Ugo, Adamu Yusuf Garko, Ralph Obiora Bellu and Willy Egbudin, respectively.
Others are the Chief Executive Officer, Virtues Marine and Freight Services Limited, Mr. Eugene Nweke; Chairman, Tin Can Island Port Chapter, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Sir Jude Maduka; Editor Ships and Ports Daily, and representative, Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Mr. Obiajulu Agu; Chief Executive Officer, Cross Link International Limited, Mr. Reginald Okpala; Chairman, Progressive Auto Dealers Forum, Comrade Chinedu Ukatu; President, Agric Coker Plumbing Materials, Mr. Golden Ani; Secretary, Task Force, Odun-Ade Building Materials, Ambassador Charles Okafor; and President, Mandilas United Traders Association, Chief Tochukwu Ezeani.
Representative, Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), Mr. Cyril Amuh;
President, Balogun Business Association (BBA), President, Association of Progressive Traders; Deputy Coordinator, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Oye Ariyo; and Member, ANLCA Board of Trustees, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi were also members of the committee.