Skip to main content

"Synergy, Commitment Are Key to Global Energy Sustainability, Says Bounour

By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade  The Chief Executive Officer, Egbin Power Plc, Mr Mohktar Bounour says global transition to cleaner energ and sustainable environment are achievable, as long as there is strong synergy and commitment among stakeholders in the value chain.  He spoke during the maiden edition of  Asharami Square in Lagos. This is an initiative introduced and implemented by the Sahara Group, in order to amplify discourse on energy sustainability through  media advocacy globally. He said: " Having analyzed the percentage of global greenhouse emissions attributed to sectors including electricity/heat production, agriculture/forestry and transportation, we are realised that there is need for synergy  and renewed commitment among stakeholders". According to him, Egbin Power has unwavering commitment to reduce carbon emissions and promotes sustainable energy sources, stressing that the need to depeening engagement and advocacy among stakeholders in
Post a Comment

Smugglers Are facing Hard Times, Says Customs

Favour & Akinola Ajibade

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) will make life more difficult for smugglers of goods into the country, NCS's Zone'A', Acting Controller, Hussein K Ejibunu, has said. 

He said this yesterday,( Wednesday),   during a media parley in Lagos..

 According to him, Customs will be fiercer to smugglers soon, as the agency has concluded plans to uncover them by  using intelligence-backed enforcement in the second half of the year.

“We shall get recalcitrant traders and their agents arrested and prosecuted in addition to seizing their wares.At this point, members of the trading community are advised to further embrace compliance and shun any act that would place them on the wrong side of the law.

“We advise them to keep themselves abreast of the import and export prohibition lists because claims of ignorance will not suffice as an excuse whenever they are caught.” he said.

The Customs Controller further said the unit has arrested a total of 60 suspected smugglers between January and June, 2023, coupled with the fact that it has intercepted and seized 580 smuggled goods valued at N4,022,960,075 during the period under review.

Ejibunu added that the Unit also recovered a total of N400,599,515.66 as revenue through the issuance of Demand Notices (DN).

He said,prominent among the seizures, s rice, which amounts to 36,742 bags X 50kg foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to 62 trailer-load.

He said that some of them were ferried through bush paths by smugglers who used motorcycles and rickety vehicles as means of conveyance.

Other seizures are 14,015 (7,728) parcels of Indian hemp; 1,064 bales of used clothing, 450 x 106 kg drums of carbide, 2 x 20 containers of unprocessed wood; 1,448 pieces of foreign rugs, 30 units of used motorcycles; 44 units of used vehicles (Tokunbo), 218,575 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 860 cartons of foreign poultry products and 833 pieces of used tyres.

Speaking further, DC Ejibunu said: “While this briefing dwells on our ant-smuggling activities which aim to protect our economy and prevent revenue loss, it is also aimed at discouraging unlawful activities especially those that contravene the Customs extant laws.

“Within the first six months of the year, our activities resulted in a high volume and value of seizures with some suspects arrested. We also succeeded in preventing the entry of dangerous or harmful substances like illicit drugs into the society.

“Our strategic intervention also achieved recovery of revenue through the issuance of demand notices to complete underpaid duties into the federal government coffers that were being evaded by some importers and their agents.

“For the period under review, we made 580 seizures with a duty-paid value of N4,022,960,075. We also arrested 60 suspects and recovered a total of N400,599,515.66 as revenue through the issuance of demand notices.

“We wish to express our profound gratitude to sister security agencies for their unflinching synergy in the course of our operations; special mention to the Department of State Security Services- Oyo State Command for the arrest of a notorious suspect that was on the wanted list for attack on a Customs patrol team escorting exhibits.

“Interestingly, this suspect was arrested and handed over the Unit yesterday.Through the federal high courts, 11 suspects were convicted for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export.

“While some other smuggling and related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HAPPY 70 TO ELDER ADE ADEDAMOLA OGIDAN

PLATINUM BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY OF ELDER ADE ADEDAMOLA OGIDAN, A FOREMOST JOURNALIST & EDITOR By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade Like a new born child, beaming with smiles for coming out of his mother's womb in order to live a fulfiled life, the celebrator,Ade Ogidan fits perfectly well into this category. Simply known as AAO, a shorten form of Ade Adedamola Ogidan, the thorough based journalist is without doubt, a  well grounded newsman.. With Bachelor of Science ( BSC) Degree in   Sociology and Anthropology( 1976 ) from University of Nigeria, Nsukka,  Ogidan has cut his teeth well in Journalism. Prior to this, he  taught in Osogbo Grammar School and worked at the Nigerian Communication respectively  after his youth service, a development, which no doubt prepared  him well for journalism profession and other future engagements. Pragmatic, resilient and outspoken, where it matters, Ogidan ensured  that his tenure as the first Chairman of Pineapple Estate, Ikorod
1 comment
Read more

NNPC Completes Mechanical Rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery Plant

By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, says that it has mechanically completed the rehabilitation of Area 5 Plant of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC). The nation's oil company began rehabilitation of the refinery two years ago, while at the same time, promised to complete its by 31st December 2023. The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kyari, said as of December 15th, 2023, 84.4% of Area 5 Plant, a key component of the Refinery, and 77.4% of the entire rehabilitation project have been completed. “In our quest to ensure that this refinery is re-streamed to continue to deliver value to Nigerians, we made a promise that we will reach a mechanical completion of phase one of the rehabilitation project by the end of December and get the other plants running in 2024. Today, we have kept those commitments,” Kyari stated. The GCEO commended NNPC's staff and the EPCIC contractors for doing a g
Post a Comment
Read more

Fed Govt Commences New VAT Sept 1

By Favour & Akinola Ajibade Buoyed by the resolve to deepen the country's revenue base and further and further speed up implementation of capital projects in Nigeria, the  Federal Government will in the next six days, precisely September 1, this year, starts collecting the  new Value Added Tax( VAT).  The government is achieving  this goal through the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS).  FIRS, in a statement,  said subject to the Finance Act 2023, VAT withheld or collected, VAT on items excluded from building, the new Tertiary Education Tax rate of 3 per cent and Investment Allowances and Convertible Currencies will become effective September 1, 2023. Certain amended provisions of the Finance Act 2023 were enacted on 28th May, 2023 with the effective date of 1st May 2023. However, the effective date was changed to 1st September 2023. Some of the amended Sections are 14 (3) which deals on VAT Withheld or Collected. The VAT Act was amended to the effect that persons
Post a Comment
Read more