Ogun Customs advocates investment in livestock production, generates N3.4bn

Apparently disturbed by increasing smuggling of frozen poultry products into the country through the land border, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State Area Command has begun outreach to community leaders and farmers across border areas to attract investment in livestock production.

Haruna Mamudu, the area controller, Ogun State Command, said the outreach and persuasion exercise undertaken by Customs officers, was aimed at discouraging imports of frozen poultry products considered injurious to human health and unfavourable to country’s balance of payment, adding that it was high time smugglers considered investing in the country’s economy rather than jeopardizing it.

Speaking at one of the outreach exercises at Idi-iroko on Sunday, the controller recalled that 18,582 cartons of poultry products, running into millions of naira were seized in two months from smugglers. He emphasised that it was high time traditional rulers and community leaders counselled businessmen and women in their domains to stop illegal importation of frozen poultry products and invest in livestock production.

While explaining that smuggled frozen poultry products are usually preserved with chemicals that are used to embalm dead human bodies, hence harmful to healthy living, he urged Nigerians to embrace and patronise locally bred livestock and poultry products, which he said, would not only guarantee safety, but would also enhance the nation’s economic growth.

Meanwhile, the Command said it generated N3.4 billion as revenue in six months, representing duty paid value on all imports between January and June this year.

According to the Command, the value of duty payable on imports between January and June, represents about 73 percent increase in revenue generated in the same period last year, adding that the Command recorded N3,401,647,417.34 revenue during the period under review as against N2,543,266,323.43 generated in the same period last year.

The Controller also disclosed that the Command made 515 seizures, with duty paid value of N445, 399, 838.00 as against 737 seizures with duty paid value of N880, 002, 012.00 recorded in the same period in 2014, adding that hundreds of second hand vehicles that were ferried through illegal routes from Benin Republic to Nigeria were recently impounded at Idiroko and the culprits would be taken to court soon.

RAZAQ AYINLA