BASHAR’S MAGIC: Tincan Command records huge revenue surge
BASHAR’S MAGIC
Tincan Command records huge revenue surge
By McAnthony Onuoha (Editor-in-Chief, ‘Prestige Blended Magazine’)
Regardless of the ban on importation of 41 items by the Federal Government, the Tincan lsland Port Command collapsed every barrier and raked in a whooping N287.6billion.
This massive feat remains a clear evidence of the doggedness and professional ingenuity of the Command’s Customs Area Controller ,CAC, Comptroller Bashar Yusuf and his team.
Besides,the Command’s target for January-December 2017, according to the Public Relations Officer ,Uche Ejesieme was N310.2billion. lf the plus and minus are carefully made, it means the Command achieved 92.71percent revenue generation in 2017, which in no doubt would have been surpassed if not the ban on 41items during the period under review. Yet, it is the first of such feat on the score card of Tincan Command.
Nevertheless, in his quest to reposition the Command, the CAC embarked on various reforms in the entire operational value chain of Tincan. That in the end, resulted in massive seizures , which remarkably has never been recorded in the history of the Command. These achievements would have been a mirage, if not for the diligence of officers and men of Tincan Command, above all,the patriotism and professional ingenuity of the CAC, who incidentally is an lCT expert . It is based on his intelligence strategies that the Command was able to record an all-time impressive seizures of 2010 Pump Action Rifles during the period under reference. Those massive seizures informed the media address by the Comptroller General of Customs ,CGC, Hameed Ibrahim Ali, on three occasions.
ln line with the Command priority on capacity building,as key element in 21st Century Customs operations, the Comptroller took a giant step by embarking on construction of an ICT training centre,with 30 workstations fully connected, to serve the training needs of officers as well as other critical stakeholders in the maritime industry . A total of 958 officers and stakeholders have so far benefited from the training facility, as they trained in areas relevant to their operations. Maritime Journalists are also among the beneficiaries.
ln the same vein,a State of the Art Clinic is currently operational at the Command,taking care of the medical needs of both officers and other public.The clinic is fully equipped with male and female wards with mini pharmacy. This facility was eventually commissioned by CGC Ali, who heartily eulogised the CAC for his exceptional leadership qualities.
Moreso, the Command is indeed poised to maintaining its public relations policy having been consistent in ‘Stakeholders Engagement’. This in no doubt has been demonstrated through interceptions and subsequent handing over of consignments to appropriate agencies for further legal action. Specifically,the Command handed over 10 40ft containers of both substandard,unwholesome/regulated pharmaceuticals to NAFDAC and NDLEA on several occasions.
Undoubtedly,the Command has diligently consolidated its upsurge in revenue generation by skillfully leveraging on the recent ‘Executive Order’, on ease of doing business and it is indeed paying -off.
Also, the operational template of the Command has been projected to align with the ideology of CGC Ali and his management, in order to consolidate on the achievements already recorded from 2015 to 2017.
The Command will no doubt seek to create proactive measures leveraging on its comparative advantage in application of ICT for best practices, as it already parades the highest number of seasoned officers for this task. Because of the ingenuity of the man at the helm of affairs at Tincan Command , who is poised in training and retraining of officers for maximum performance, there is indeed a reasonable prospect that the Command will record jaw-dropping achievements in 2018.
