Customs CG; Ali Upgrades Ikorodu Terminal Back to Command Status

…As ANCLA Charges TICT To Release Overtime Containers
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali has finally upgraded the Ikorodu Government Warehouse back to the status of a full area command, assuring that the Customs Processing Centre (CPC) would now be reopend first week of August 2020.
This is even as the Premier Chairman of the Ikorodu chapter of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Mr Martins Ikechukwu has lamented that many terminal operators are yet to release the overtime cargoes in their custody, especially the Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT)

Hameed Ali had in September 2018 directed that the Ikorodu Terminal be removed from the list of Area Commands of the customs.
Ali has also given all Assistant Comptroller Generals (ACG) in charge of zones Authority to handle challenges brought to them without delay.
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent, the ANLCA Premier Chairman stated that the CGC confirmed the reopening of Ikorodu command at the meeting he held with ANLCA top guns in Abuja last week.
Martins confirmed that the viability of the Ikorodu terminal was one of the focal points of the meeting with the customs CG and that one of his lieutenants, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Human Resources Development, Fatade Aderenle gave assurances that the CPC would be reopened next month.
According to the ANLCA top shot, if the CPC is reopened, the Ikorodu terminal would return back to its status as a full command whereby it would be generating revenue into the purse of the federal government as other ports are doing.
He said it has been difficult to clear the over 700 containers that has so far been transfered to Ikorodu because stakeholders are waiting for the CPC to be reopened.
While speaking on the outcome of last week meeting with the Customs CGC, Martins said “ACG Fatade addressed the issue of Ikorodu Warehouse, telling us that first week of next month, work would start at the terminal and the CPC would be reopened”
“The closure of the CPC is what has been witholding the job, but now we are hoping and expecting the fast action of the customs to give us our CPC as fast as they can”
“When the ANLCA VP queried why ACG’s in various zones do not address challenges brought to them, the CGC said he has given them free hand and authority to handle such issues. The Association is meeting with the ACG tomorrow to work out the modalities”
“A lot of terminals have not transfered their overtime cargoes apart from PTML and APMT, we have not received anything from TICT where the major overtime cargoes are lying”
“The federal government should look into this so that it would save us of all the gridlock on the port access road, by the time TICT is emptied, it would decongest all the trucks parking outside the port”
Martins commended CGC Ali for upgrading back the terminal to its previous status, saying that it is a kudos to the CG.
Giving an insight into how the terminal operated after it was downgraded to warehouse status, he said agents had to first dispatch entries of their cargoes to the main port in Apapa, customs officers there would only release it after seeing an examination reports that is issued by officers from Ikorodu.
But with the reopening of the Ikorodu customs command he said “We would now release cargoes, carry out examinations, print exits, there is no need of justling to other CPC at Lagos port where the containers were transfered from, we can pay our duty from here”