Customs gives airport command N126 billion target

THE Controller General of Nigerian Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) has given the Murtala Mohammed Airport Command, Lagos over N126 billion target to generate in 2016.

Ali, who was represented by the Assistant Comptroller General/Zonal Coordinator to Zone A of Nigerian Customs, Edike Charles charged men and officers of the command to triple the N42.75billion generated in 2015.

Addressing officers at airport command, Edike said, “For every challenge there is a solution. I believe by now you would have got the solution of last year’s problem. This year we want you to triple what you got last year, that means every airway bill must be accounted for, whether half kg, one kg or one million kg, they must be well accounted for. Every kobo is important and it must be remitted to the government. There was a time in the sixties that people were sent to prison because of three penny.

“We must sacrifice our time and resources for Nigeria now. Oil revenue is dwindling day by day. How do we expect government to raise its revenue to run the country. For Customs, there is no excuse which means we must stand to the challenge of not letting our country down. We must put aside self interest. Government expect us to stand for Nigeria now. We must not disappoint.

On his part, The Customs Area Controller, Murtala Muhammed Area Command, Allanah Francis said: “I observed during the tour that un-utilized Airways bills pose a huge challenge to the command, efforts are being made to bring the number down to its barest minimum, but despite these, the command had done very well, in the area of revenue collection.