Neither Destruction, nor Burial

Abdullahi Dikko

Officers and Men of Nigerian Customs Service,Seme-Badagry Area Command, destroy 1,483 bags of rice and other items, amidst fears that the trend may continue, unless the on-going government warehouse project is completed
By Stephen Ubanna
Not many people are happy over the recent destruction of 1,483 bags of rice and other consumables ranging from macroni, tomatoes to maggi, alleged to be contaminated, by Officers and Men of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Seme-Badagry Area Command. They are not happy that the Command would allow seized perishable items degenerate to the level of being unsuitable for human consumption amidst hunger in the country.
Investigations by The Source show that the items were seized between May 2007 and 2008 but the flood of May, 2008 destroyed the items in the warehouse and containers where they were kept. That much was confirmed by Hassan Shallangwa, an Assistant Comptroller and Head of Operations in the Command.
The Source learnt that the then Area Comptrolller, Abdullahi Dikko, who is now the Comptroller General (CG), had written several letters to the Headquarters seeking approval to dispose the perishable items. Dikko, the magazine was told, made several trips to Abuja to make case for the disposal of the items but met a brickwall. Until he was redeployed, nothing was done.
Dikko had opportunity of influencing the disposal of the items when he was appointed Assistant Comptroller General, Customs Headquarters in 2008. In fact, he was said to have told the then Comptroller General, Hamman Ahmed of the existence of the contaminated items at Seme –Badagry Area Command and the need for its destruction. Ahmed was said to visited the Area Command to see the items and to ascertain whether it is still good for human consumption. J.O.Kumoye, a Chief Inspector of Customs, and Head of the government Warehouse, confirmed the visit. Ahmed was said to have been shown round the Warehouse and the containers used in stocking the items. The magazine further learnt that the former Comptroller General, after seeing the items, was not happy. He was said to have promised to do something about it but that was how far he could go.
Insiders said that Dikko had expected the appointment of Bernard Nwadialor as replacement for Ahmed as an opportune time for decision to be taken on the Seme/ Badagry Area Command spoilt items. But nothing was done about it. The Source was told that the matter was always coming up at the Management meetings until when Dikko stopped raising the issue after he realised that Nwadialor was not interested in it.
It was not surprising, therefore, that when Dikko mounted the saddle as Comptroller General, officers and Men of the Area Command looked up to him to resolve the sour issue. He never disappointed them. The magazine learnt that when he received a letter from Gabriel Aliu, the Area Comptroller, on December 12, 2009, seeking approval for the disposal of the spoilt items, he did not hesitate to give his nod. Aliu confirmed that he got the approval to destroy the items on December 18, 2009. Unconfirmed reports said there was celebration in both official and un-official quarters the day Aliu broke the news of the Comptroller General’s approval. The people, indeed, have every reason to be happy because of the offensive odour oozing out from the Warehouse and containers housing the items. The odour was so irritating that officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, NAFAC, threatened to break into the Warehouse and containers to destroy the items, if the NCS Management fails to take action. Inspite of the approval given to Aliu, the Seme-Badagry Area Comptroller, to destroy the food items, it took him about one month to implement the decision.
Eye-witness account said about six pits were dug for the destruction of the items. When the Warehouse and containers were opened, people who trooped out in their hundreds to witness the removal of the items could not stand the stench. They were said to have covered their noses with handkerchiefs. Officers of the Area Command who were at the scene were speechless. The situation was so bad that the labourers hired to take the items to the pit were hesitant as they could not withstand the odour. It took the intervention of Shallangwa and Kumoye for the labourers to continue work. It was learnt that the duo renegotiated their fees before the labourers could agree to complete the work.
When Aliu, the Area Comptroller was satisfied that the items had been evacuated from the Warehouse and containers, to the destruction site, he gave orders for the destruction to commence. Aliu said he resorted to burning of the spoilt items because of his experience in Calabar, capital of Cross River state. As the Command’s Area Comptroller, he had buried some contaminated food items on the orders of the Headquarters, but the items weree found in the market a few days later, which was “very embrassing to the Management.” An angry Aliu told the magazine: “I received several phone calls from both official and unofficial quarters on how the buried items found its way into the market.”
Unconfirmed report said that the then Comptroller General, Buba Gyang, had threatened to set up a Committee to investigate the matter but that was how far he could go.
A senior Customs Officer who spoke to The Source commended Aliu for taking the bold initiative to burn the items, instead of burying them. There had been instances in the past where hoodlums had attempted to excavate buried Turkey but took to their heels on sighting Customs personnel. There are indications that a similar thing would have happened but for the burning of the items.
In spite of the destruction of the items, Aliu would not want the trend to continue. The Area Comptroller would rather prefer giving out seized food items to sister Agencies as Public Relations or Orphanages, instead of allowing it to spoil.
Aware of the major problem of Seme-Badagry Area Command, Dikko has, perhaps, learnt from the mistakes of past Comptroller Generals. He, for instance, appreciates the need to build a world-class Warehouse to stock seized goods. A source at the Customs Headquarters, Technical Department describe the Warehouse as one of the largest in Africa. The source stated that no matter how long seized goods are kept at the Warehouse, it would not be affected by flood. The project is expected to be completed this year.
Besides the construction of the new Warehouse, Dikko has also shown commitment in making the examination of goods hitch-free by building an Examination bay in the Area Command. Aliu would be happy , he said, if the project is completed on time.
At present, Trucks stocked with goods are examined on the road. A Seme-based Clearing Agent who spoke to the magazine on condition of anonymity said: “lack of an examination bay has been a major problem in the Command.” Giving an insight into the activities at Seme, the Agent said, “this has put much pressure on Ibrahim Turaki, a Chief Superientedent, and Head of Operations in the Office of the Area Comptroller, whose staff has had to shuttle between the office and the road where Trucks are examined.” The Agent is optimistic that the problem would be over with the completion of the examination bay project .
Earnest Ollotah, an Assistant Superientendent of Customs and the Command’s image-maker said. “It would be a big relief, if both the Warehouse and examination bay projects are completed. Let us hope that the Minister of Finance, Mansur Muhktar, would release the desired fund needed for the project,” he said.
The NCS may have sourced for fund internally to execute the proejct, but it still needs the support of its supervising ministry, one insider told The Source, adding. “This is because of the importance of the project to Seme-Badagry Area Command in saving seized goods.”
Indeed, a visitor to Seme-Badagry Area Command would be surprised at the number of unexamined trucks at the Republic of Benin side of the border. The importers fear that most of the goods on such trucks may be seized becasue they are contraband. This is why the contractor on the warehouse project has to expedite work on it to stock goods that may be seized.