Wednesday, 15 March 2017
The policy which was to take effect next month, proposed that vehicle owners should visit the nearest Customs office to ascertain if their vehicle duties were fully paid for or not by their vehicle importer. If not paid for, they are to pay for it or have their vehicles impounded...
This has generated a lot of controversy, resulting in the Senate mandating the Comptroller General of NCS, Hameed Ali, to appear before it today dressed in his unifotm. The Customs boss in a letter to the Senate, said he would not appear before the house as he has an urgent meeting. Hameed however met with Saraki at the National Assembly yesterday evening and it was resolved that the policy should be suspended.
Read a statement released by NCS announcing the suspension, below..
"Following the unnecessary tension generated as a result of misconception and misrepresentation of the Nigeria Customs Service planned motor duty payment, the leadership of the National Assembly and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) met with a view to resolving the impasse. They both agreed that the proposed motor duty payment, though in line with the provision of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C.45, LFN 2004 should be put on hold while the Senate Committee on Customs & Excise interfaces with the NCS for further discussions.
2. While payment of duty on vehicles or indeed any dutiable imported item remains a civic responsibility of every patriotic Nigerian, NCS Management has directed that the exercise be put on hold while expressing readiness to engage the Senate Committee on further discussions to bring them on board to understand the importance of the exercise to national security and economy".
A motorist and a police car were involved in a road traffic collision at the Holland Park Roundabout in London. The civilian was trapped by the nature of his injuries and firefighters had to cut his vehicle open to free him. He has since been taken to the hospital.
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Narrating how his wife died, her husband, Mr Bankole, said she was at their balcony relaxing on a mat when the balcony caved in. She was shouting that her back was aching but died as soon as she was rushed to the hospital.
“I just heard the collapse of the balcony on my head and I noticed it had a minor effect on me. I thought since my wife was not directly under the collapse balcony, she would be safe. Then I ran to the other side of the building shouting thank you Jesus. I wanted to come back when I heard our neighbors calling my wife to get up from the mat she was sleeping but she could not. We did not know if some of the debris hit her on her back because she was just shouting ‘my back’. She died shortly after getting to the hospital” he said
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Customs Area Controller of the Command, Jibrin Musa disclosed that the importer declared apples as the content of the container before scanning proved it to be 2700 cartons of prohibited frozen fish.
Jibrin told journalists that aside the offence of false declaration, the import also contravened the law as it failed the requirement for license and quota expected for importers of allowable fish species into Nigeria.
He said '' As part of our collective resolve to ensure strict compliance with government import prohibition rule, we recently uncovered an attempt to smuggle tilapia fish into the country. In a bid to evade detection and arrest, the importer made a false declaration that that the 1x40ft container was laden with apples''
''Upon scanning, we discovered this to be untrue as the container contained 2700 cartons of tilapia frozen fish from Turkey,the aforementioned fish species is under restriction.More so,importers of allowable species of fish are expected to obtain license and permit and necessary quota before such importation into the country.
'' Consequent upon this false declaration, Nigeria Customs Service Apapa hereby declare this container with number DFOU6122880 seized while investigation is ongoing to bring all the accomplices to book. The duty paid value (DPV) is about N22,193,384.00 ''
Jibrin who paraded a suspect before newsmen, said investigations are ongoing on the seizure while adding that his command has opened communication with relevant agencies like National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) on the seizure.
While answering reporters questions, the Controller ruled out the possibility of destroying the seized fish as he added that the command will await further directive from its headquarters on how to dispose of it.
He also warned perpetrators of unlawful import and export practices in Apapa to desist from it as the long arms of the law will always bring them to book.
It was reported that a male student at the Sa’adu Zungur Model Primary and Secondary School paid N500 as dowry to 'wed' a female student, while their classmates contributed for snacks needed at the ceremony.
After teachers heard about the illegal event between the SS II students they immediately reported the incident.
The Bauchi state deputy governor, Nuhu Gidado, who doubles as the state’s commissioner of education in a statement yesterday through his special assistant on Communication, Yakubu Adamu, said the closure of the school was most necessary and effective from March 10.
The statement also added that a committee, comprising all directors in the state Ministry of Education, the school authorities, teachers and Parents and Teachers Association, PTA, had been set up to investigate the matter and come up with a detailed report before the school is reopened.
Government sources cited by Vanguard also claimed that aside from the illegal marriage ceremonies, there had been reports of rampant sexual activities in the school before now.
