PORTS 24-HR OPERATION: Customs rolls out shift roster

By Godwin Oritse & Godfrey Bivbere

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, yesterday said it has drawn up a roaster for its officers and men to work in shifts.

Following the Acting President, Yemi Osibajo’s, Executive Order announcing 24-hour port operations,

Also the Federal Government has barred the Standards Organization of Nigeria, (SON) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) from the sea ports towards the ease of doing business project.

Disclosing this to newsmen at a meeting with  stakeholders in Lagos, Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Col Hammed Ali (Rtd) said that the Customs Service had to adopt a shift system with a view to meeting the deadline for the implementation of the  Executive Order.

Ali also said that the only way to meet up with the Executive Order was to adopt a shift process of work schedule adding that officers had been intimated and are ready to comply accordingly.

The Comptroller-General also assured stakeholders of adequate scanners at the ports as part of Federal Government’s effort to ensure conducive business environment.

“We realised that fast-tracking the Executive Orders required functional scanners which would subject all containers to examination

“Inadequate scanners will not facilitate trade but in a couple of months, adequate scanners will be available in various ports in the country,” Ali said

Similarly, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, also said that respective heads of agencies operating in the ports had equally issued directives to their staff to comply with the order.

She explained that yesterday’s meeting was to evaluate the implementation of the order by the various agencies in the port.

The NPA boss disclosed that part of the resolution from the meeting was the sustenance of the implementation of the Executive Order.

She also said that only the NPA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Port Health, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, State Security Service, SSS, Customs and Police are  allowed in the port.

All agencies currently physically present in Nigerian ports are to within 60 days harmonize their operations into one single interface station domiciled in one location  and implemented by a single joint task force at all times, with prejudice to necessary backend procedures.

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