Nigeria Custom Service Flourishes in Corruption...Oyo/Osun Command on Lead

 

Corruption has continued to be a cancerian disease that has eating deep into all the sectors across the country, either academic, governance and even the secular sector without any reservation.

Yet the campaign and crusade to put a lasting stop to this hydra-nature  disease seems not working or having a solution at sight.

The Nigeria custom service (NCS) department in the country is one strategic  entity that is key to the economic growth of the nation ,and which all staffer must be sincere and cooperate at stamping out corruption in this organization.

Recently, as parts of the series efforts to curb corruption, the Ilorin Zonal Commander of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Michael Nzekwe, has urged law enforcement agencies to support the anti-graft crusade of the Commission to free the country from shackles of corruption.

Mr Nweze made the call during his familiarization visit to para-military formations in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

According to him, the EFCC alone cannot fight and win the war against corruption in Nigeria.

Michael said the EFCC in addition to its enforcement responsibilities, is expected to prevent the commission of economic crimes through aggressive public enlightenment and education.

The EFCC Zonal commander noted that the collaboration with other law enforcement agencies would weaken economic saboteurs and other sundry criminals wreaking havoc on the nation’s economy .

In their separate remarks, Kwara state Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service,(NCS) Comptroller Bello , the state Zonal Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Frederick Ogidan ,as well as the state Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps ,Mrs Francisca Olaleye , promised to co-operate and support the Commission in its fight against corruption.

However, the reverse is the case at Nigeria custom service Oyo/Osun command as corruption flourishes like early morning roses.

According to allegations and reports from some custom posts under the command and full supervision of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba,  there were allegations of large scale corruption in the command.

Various allegations and accused fingers pointing at some of the officials of the Nigeria custom service in the areas for perpetrating high degrees of corruption running to several millions of naira defrauding the federal government. While some custom post in the command made nothing less than #23 million per day from smugglers, while this happens thrice in a week.

Sources close to these officials revealed that these officials  of the Nigeria custom service have formed cartel, using a POS guy as their pay point at the posts, and claimed they have been making necessary returns and feedback to the headquarters at ibadan for the  Zonal Comptroller to do same to the national headquarters at Abuja.

While with investigations and claims from some quarters, these corrupt Nigeria custom service officials at various posts in the state like that of Saki, Igbeti, Iseyin amongst other claiming to have been making returns regularly to their area headquarters in ibadan, the oyo state capital at the office of the Comptroller and probably for onward remittance to the National headquarters office at Abuja. Hence these officials are at liberty to involved in corruption activities.

The findings revealed that multiple millions of naira racked from the smugglers were just continue to drain into private pockets of individuals at the various posts, building mansions and acquiring wealth illegally.

Just as the big question on the matter is,how much out of these  several millions of naira were allowed to go to the coffers of the federal government by these alleged corrupt Nigeria custom service officials.

Some of the noted custom posts in Oyo state for high rate of corrupt practices are Igbeti, Iseyin, Saki amongst other in the area command for their nefarious activities without a check.

While the citizenry and the general public shall be happy at seeing that for efforts at stamping out corruption in the service yeilded positive results through putting a proper check from the office of the Comptroller General.