Friday, November 23, 2012
Close to 1,000 Nigerians employed by
three Destination Inspection service providers are likely to lose their
jobs soon as the companies prepare to wind up their operations in
Nigerian ports.
The seven-year contract, which began in January 2006, is expected to
end in December 2012 and the service providers have confirmed their
readiness to hand over their operations to the officers and men of the
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Destination Inspection service
providers, including Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited (CDIL),
Global Scansystems Limited (GSL) and SGS, were given a seven-year
contract by the Federal Government on Build-Own-Operate-and-Transfer
(BOOT) basis to provide services including risk management, valuation
and classification, training and capacity building for Customs officers,
provision of tools and equipment, scanning services, reporting, and
coordination with the relevant agencies.
At Cotecna alone, about 400 skilled
staff will be forced to go back to the employment market in 2013.
Cotecna is in charge of providing Destination Inspection service at
Apapa and Tin-Can Seaports in Lagos, Aminu Kano and Nnamdi Azikwe
International Airports, and the land borders of Jibiya and Banki.
Also, Global Scansystems Limited (GSL),
which was incorporated in Nigeria with the main aim of facilitating the
Federal Government’s reforms on importation and operations at Murtala
Mohammed Airport, Seme Border, Warri and Calabar Seaports, may push
close to 300 employees into the labour market in 2013.
SGS, the firm in charge of providing
Destination Inspection services at Port Harcourt 1&2, Onne Port,
Port Harcourt Airport and Idiroko border, is likely to disengage over
200 staff by the end of the year.
Fred Udechukwu, managing director/CEO,
Global Scansystems Limited, confirmed recently in Lagos that the
termination of the DI contract with service providers will lead to
massive job loss as over 200 Nigerians currently employed by his company
stand to lose their jobs by end of the year.
He said Customs officers do not have the
expertise required to handle the complex equipment used for destination
inspection, stressing the need for more training for Customs officers
in order not to jeopardise the aim of the scheme.
Meanwhile, maritime analysts have
expressed fear of under-valuation of consignment that could short-change
government of its revenue due to corruption and incompetence on the
part of Customs officers to render DI services.
“Officers and men of Nigeria Customs
Service are trained to carry out competent valuation of cargo, but there
is need for them to put corruption and dishonesty aside if we are to
achieve good result,” said Tony Anakebe, a maritime analyst.
Reacting to this, the management of
Nigeria Customs has reportedly said that the service is ready to take
over the scheme from the service providers.
According to Wale Adeniyi, NCS’s public
relations officer, “The service has recruited and trained close to 1,000
officers to take over the operation of the scheme after the exit of the
service providers.”
Kanikwu David Chuks, a maritime analyst,
said since NCS is a revenue generating agency, “Customs officers are
expected to pass through Customs College where they are taught the
rudiments of revenue generation, classification and interpersonal
relationship, trade, commerce and a little bit of law to guide their
action.”
Therefore, he said, Customs can carry
out destination inspection service if the officers have the will to do
an honest job for the benefit of the country.
