Customs Beg NIWA To Help Maintain Patrol Boats, Support Operations

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

Apparently worried about how to prosecute his new assignment and the onerous task ahead of him, new Customs Area Controller (CAC), Western Marine Command (WMC), Comptroller Oduado Salefu has approached the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to consider setting up a joint patrol team with the command, which among other things is expected to provide customs marine the right confidence and operational finesse to carry out their duty.

The WMC boss in addition requested NIWA to avail the customs its safety protocol cover and engineering support to assist customs marine operatives deliver on its mandate to check revenue leakages.

Comptroller Salefu who made above requests when he visited NIWA Lagos Area office yesterday, reportedly discussed issues intended to promote collaboration towards maximizing the economic opportunities of brown waters within Lagos State jurisdiction.

Highlighting the dismal state of the service’s flagship marine command, administrative, professional, operational and economic, the new controller according to reports left NIWA with the assurances that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) requests would be treated, including propping up customs marine operatives safety standard skills, which will ultimately close the perceived gapping collapse and assist the customs marine to get the necessary rebound.

Salefu  according to statements credited to the NIWA Area Manager, Engr (Dr) Braimah , said: “We want our men on water to operate within the best safety standards and we believe NIWA as regulators can brush us up and even help us take a second look at our boat engines, to avoid incidents of breakdowns in the middle of nowhere.

“I am aware that something needs to give way here and I request your office to help us understand this Badagry Seme route, so we  can properly access what is happening there, and to ensure goods in transit are captured for Customs duties.” he added

Comptroller Salefu further enjoined the NIWA Area Manager to assist in creating a joint patrol between customs operatives and NIWA police, noting that such synergy if robustly marshaled, will change the compliance narratives particularly along the Badagry and Seme waters, he adjudged as a difficult and porous route, in the combat against smuggling activities.

“I am aware that something needs to give way here and I request your office to help us understand this Badagry Seme route, so can properly access what is happening there, and to ensure goods in transit are captured for Customs duties.”

Earlier in her welcome remark, the NIWA Area Manager, Engr (Dr) Braimah informed her guest, that NIWA in Lagos is open to collaboration to help sanitize activities on water transportation.

She said, “We shall assist you in the area of safety awareness and education and every other possible way that can make your assignment easy.”

The customs chief was reported to have said that this water channel is adjudged to be a very difficult and porous route for smuggling activities, noting that strategic partnership with NIWA will change the narrative.

Although some insiders think that Salefu’s lamentation and worries belie the resilience, operability and capability of the WMC in recent time, the resort to NIWA to come to customs marine rescue probably raises serious question mark on the coefficient capacity of the command to deliver on its mandate.

It also indirectly put question marks on the operational capacity building programme of the present customs management and leadership, especially in terms of functional patrol boats, whose conditions have been called to question.

If the flagship command fleets are in such bad shape to require soliciting for external technical support to check out customs patrol boat engines, it suggests a major system default and the reasons probably, the customs marine operations have reported scanty successes across commands.