The
Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has sought for improved synergy among sister
security agencies in the country towards ensuring that smuggling activities are
brought to the minimal level.
The
NCS Assistant Controller General (ACG) in charge of Zone ‘A’, Aminu Dahiru,
stated this while addressing officers and men of the command at the command’s
office in Ojofin, Ipokia Local Government of Ogun state.
The
ACG, who is on duty tour of the Ogun Area Command of the service, insisted that
the menace of smuggling requires a combined efforts to be decimated.
Dahiru
warned that the activities of smugglers portend great danger for the Nigerian
state if not urgently checked.
According
to him, “Smuggling is a menace to the nation and it is our collective
responsibility to fight it. It requires a lot of logistics, personnel, synergy
and cooperation.
“But
the truth of the matter is that even if you have all it takes in the area of
logistics, a single organisation cannot fight it. No matter how equipped you
are.
“In
essence, we need each other to end it. More so, we have to operate in a hostile
environment as this. We have to talk to local people and make them realise the
dangers associated to smuggling”.
“This
is because a smuggler can bring in anything that is dangerous like arms and
ammunition. From onset, the intention is not good because there are things that
can’t be imported”.
The
customs boss also disclosed that smuggling activities has continued to have
negative effect on the revenue generation of government.
He
however requested for renewed patriotism on the part of the officers and men of
the command, especially those operating at the hinterlands.
He
said, “another is that it benefits individual and not the country. Duty paid on
goods goes to the nation’s account but the money made from smuggling goes into
the private account of the individual.
“In
a nutshell, we have to have that patriotism required by law in each and every
one of us. We must come together to be on the side of the state. If we don't do
that, we are as bad as the smugglers.
“I
choose this pace to visit because of its significant. One is because of the
convergence of the sister security agencies here. It shows there's is peace and
understand and that will assist us to fight any war, be it physical or
psychological”.
“Your
duties are supported by law while the smuggler is on his own. I urge you to
work together because the goal is almost the same. We are looking for peace and
revenue because if there's revenue and no peace, then the revenue becomes
irrelevant. For any progress in human endeavor, there must be peace
“Never
look down on your colleague. There's no agency that is not important. We should
do our work collectively and intelligently.
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