One of the policies that rescued Nigeria, and indeed Nigerians from the pains of recession that the country was plunged into by economic recklessness of previous administrations has been attributed to the Ease of Doing Business policy initiated by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC.

Apart from reducing and simplifying the processes for businesses registration, visa application, amongst others, the PEBEC empowers CAC internal lawyers to certify company incorporation forms and conduct statutory declaration of compliance for a fixed fee of just N500.

On trading across borders, the ease of doing business policy simplified and reduced the documentation processes for imports and exports by the introduction of the Advanced Cargo Manifests, reduction in documentation requirements and scheduling of joint physical examination by the Nigeria Customs Service.

However, following the worrisome, unprecedented seizure of arms by men of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Command through what the Comptroller of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, (rtd) called integrated synergized intelligence profiling, the NCS has called on Nigerians to bear with the Service as securing the country takes precedence over revenue.

According to the CGC, “the ease of doing business combined with the Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, for all federal government Agencies are meant to fast track business transactions at the ports as well as other entry points. The need to be thorough and ensure that arms are not smuggled into the country necessitates that all inward cargo are 100% examined before release. This may cause some delays but it is better that way than compromise national security”, the CGC said.

In separate interception and seizures of 1, 100, 661, 475, 470 among others, the Nigeria Customs, within the last nine months seized a total of  2, 671 rifles.

Lamenting the ugly development the CG said “While the audacity of these criminals to think that they can import these dangerous weapons into this country is worrisome, we have the capacity to tackle them and meet the challenge posed by these criminals”

The CG called on all citizens to support the Service by providing useful information that could helm Customs carry out their duties effectively.