Compt Oshoba Receives Reps Committee on Safety Standards, Reiterates Commitment to Ensuring Compliant Trade

The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Compt Emmanuel Oshoba on Tuesday received members of the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulationson who were on oversight function and fact finding mission.

The lawmakers took a tour of facilities at the Apapa port including the customs offices at APM Terminals examination area and scanning site, customs offices at ENL Terminals among others.

Speaking on the essence of the visit, Chairman of the Committee,  Hon. David Idris Zacharias said the Committee on a fact finding mission to ascertain how substandard goods find their way into Nigerian markets. Specifically he lamented the influx of fake cables, which according to him has led to fire incidences and collapse of buildings around the country.

He said “We are going to conduct an inspection and go round the whole terminal, the safety of Nigerians is our responsibility, nobody would do it for you and I.
A lot of incidents have happened in Nigeria, especially as regards collapse of buildings and fire incidents that have killed many Nigerians.
We have fake cables ravaging the Nigerian markets.
Another member of the committee also said “From our findings and meetings we have held, we were told that Customs is not to be held responsible, but they mentioned the Standards Organisation of Nigeria”

Responding, Compt Oshoba assured that the Apapa Customs Command is on top of its game, especially in terms of anti-smuggling, and that non-compliant trade cannot come in through the command.

“The statutory responsibility of the Nigeria Customs Service is trade facilitation and ease of doing business, and we are very particular about compliance in this regard, any importation coming through the port must be compliant.

“We have government agencies within every customs environment, we have SON, NDLEA, and NAFDAC and no unwholesome cargoes have escaped this port without being detected. Apapa is one of the highest command where we have seizures of such items, so non-compliant cargoes do not pass through this command at all.

“Most of the substandard items at the Nigerian market is due to our porous borders, we have expansive borders that are porous. The CGC has stated this over and over again, any security agency in the country can confirm to you that this is why we are having issues of insecurity due to our porous borders, but for Apapa Area Command, no item injurious to National Security can come through here” Compt Oshoba stated.