Freight Forwarders Fault Customs E-auction
. Alleges One Person Got 300 Vehicles
. Customs Deny Allegations, Says E-auction Transparent
. Uploaded 476 Vehicles, 462 Won
By Fredrick Wright
Despite the deployment of technology, the Freight Forwarder have described the recent e-auction of vehicles by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has fraud, alleging that one person got over 300 vehicles.
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) 100% Compliance Team made this allegation in a letter addressed to the Comptroller-General of NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi recently.
However, the Chief Superintendent of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullah Maiwada, said the allegation is entirely false, misguided, and spurious.
NAGAFF, in the letter titled: “The Monumental Stealing By The Customs Auction Committee And Their Plans To Dispose-Off Overtime Containers,” and signed by the National Coordinator of the Compliance Team, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, the group alleged that plans have been concluded to extend the same fraudulent treatment in the auction of overtime containers.
The letter reads in part: “As we write, more than 300 vehicles have been auctioned to just one person after some huge underhand payments. A token ridiculous sum of N10,000 each is collected as duties to the federal government!.
“As if that is not enough, plans have been concluded to extend the same odious treatment in the auction of overtime containers. No gain saying that those containers were only ‘abandoned’ there due to the huge shipping and terminal demurrages accrued overtime. Most have paid their duties.”
The group, however, maintained that auctioning the overtime cargoes goes against extant laws that demands that they be evacuated to the government warehouse, Ikorodu.
“We think it is better to invite the consignees to take delivery devoid of the outstanding demurrages. The economic situation dictates so.
“We therefore implore your good offices to institute a thorough investigation into these unholy practices carefully organized and perpetrated by this auction committee operating presently at the Tin Can Island Port complex and PTML,” the letter stated.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs denied the fraudulent activities or underhand dealings in the e-auctioning of vehicles or other goods.
Maiwada said the NCS Auction Committee operates within the confines of the law and adheres strictly to established guidelines and procedures for disposing of seized/overtime goods.
“Regarding the allegation that over 300 vehicles have been auctioned to just one individual via the e-auction window after purported underhand payments, we wish to state that this is entirely false, misguided, and spurious.
“Furthermore, suggesting that a token sum of N10,000 is collected as duties to the Federal Government on the e-auction window, which has a reserved price of N400, 000 is indeed misleading and misrepresentation of fact,” he stated.
According to him, “From the data generated upon completing five successful bidding windows, 13,605 applicants registered in five windows on our e-auction portal, where 476 vehicles were uploaded, and 462 won. Also, the government realized N556,738,736 as revenue. It begs the question of where the allegations are coming from.
“We wish to reaffirm our commitment to transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law in all our activities. We urge members of the public to join the service with the common goal of promoting an inclusive system that is fair to all Nigerians, irrespective of their status.
“The NCS is a law-abiding government organization dedicated to maintaining the most outstanding levels of accountability and transparency in all its activities and taking any accusations of improper behaviour seriously,” he said.
