The Nigeria Customs Service has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to assist it in realizing the 2020 revenue target handed to it by the Federal Government.
M. B Boyi, Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt made the appeal on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Command by the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the EFCC, Usman Imam.
Boyi disclosed that while the Federal Government gave the Service a revenue target of N1.5trillion for 2020, the agency has a more ambitious projection of N2trillion.
“Last year, government gave us a revenue target of N1trillion. We delivered N1.3trillion. This year, 2020, N1.5trillion is the target. But instead of N1.5trillion the management said we should make it N2trillion. We will do what we could to meet our target in this Command. This collaboration will help us. Where we have challenges we will call on you,” Boyi said.
The controller said Customs collaboration with the EFCC was inevitable as both agencies have shared interest to further national economic growth, peace and security. He specifically requested for close collaboration between the EFCC Zonal Office and the Customs at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, as well as regular exchange of intelligence and exposure to capacity development opportunities.
Boyi commended the impact of the EFCC, which he says bellies its relative young age.
In his remarks, Imam who was accompanied on the visit by his deputy, Babashani Umar Sanda, Umar Bello of the Procurement Fraud Section, Shola Olowonihi of the Capital Market Fraud Section and Daniel Anozia of the Advance Fraud Section, commended the history of collaboration between the EFCC and the Nigeria Customs Service.
While emphasizing EFCC’s role in assisting Customs to meet its revenue projections through joint exercises in Lagos and Port Harcourt, the Zonal Head observed that Customs has helped the EFCC in fighting money laundering, being the major arresting agency in cases of under declaration at the port.
“This is why I said I cannot rest until I have established proper contact with one of our key stakeholders. My goal is to see how we can improve on the existing relationship”, he said.
