ACG Charles Edike, Co-Ordinator, Zone A.

The Nigeria Customs Service Zone ‘A’ ably led and coordinated by the Zonal Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Eporwei CB Edike has set up a committee to produce an effective strategic plan that will lead to increased revenue generation and improve operations within the zone.

Zone A covers the entire South West and generates over 75℅ of the total revenue target given to the Service annually.

The enormity of the task and inherent challenges are enormous. It therefore requires an officer with vast experience and an impeccable track record to organize the zone and deliver the expectations of Customs management and indeed, the federal government from the zone.

The Comptroller-General of Customs Col Hammed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) in his wisdom and foresightedness was very tactical in deploying ACG Charles Eporwei Edike to execute and translate government’s fiscal policies into the expected economic developments in all sectors of the economy as Co-Ordinator Zone A.

Haven served as controller in virtually all the majors Sea Ports, Airports within and outside Lagos, Edike is well equipped with knowledge of Customs procedures and deep understanding of operations within the zone to deliver.

On assumption of duty, the ACG visited all Customs commands/formations within the zone, encouraging and charging Customs officers to work hard and achieve set targets. He also stressed the need for officers to be professional in rendering services and remain dedicated to duty.

While positive results are already been recorded, the ACG has further charged all controllers in under his command and supervision to take a second look at their bonded seats.

With his experience in Automated System Customs Data, ASYCUDA, the ACG had gone into the system of every Command in Zone ‘A’ and printed out all unpaid declarations and unutilized Pre-arrival Assessment Report, PAAR. He immediately directed all CAC’s concerned to worked on them accordingly and recover every Kobo owed government.

Knowing that virtually all issues concerning revenue collection involves the Bond Seat, the ACG has directed all controllers to apply CEMA and Custom and Excise Notices on Bonds. All bonds that have been kept for long are to be brought out and every Kobo due to government collected therefrom.

These are part of strategies been adopted by the zone as recommended by a committee set up by the ACG; not only to improve revenue but to enhance Customs  services in the areas of trade facilitation, policy enforcement, suppression of smuggling and ensure compliance by importers and other port users as well.

Already, there are testimonies to the practicality and workability of the strategies. The Customs Area Controller in charge of Murtala Mohammed International Airport command, Comptroller Allanah, F.N informed the Zonal Coordinator during a recent zonal meeting that he achieved his Command monthly target by implementing these recommended strategies.

Other comptrollers are also testifying to the effectiveness of the strategies. These and ongoing efforts coupled with greater dedication to duty by officers and men of the Service are indicators that Zone A is poised to achieve government’s targets from the zone.