By Godfrey Bivbere
Officials of the Ports Standing Task Team, PSTT last week chased away officers of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS who positioned themselves along the port access road allegedly obstructing free flow of traffic by stopping truckers and consignees from the port.
The intervention of the PSTT follows complaint by stakeholders about officials of FOU positioning themselves along the port access road where they park as many as six to eight trucks causing traffic obstruction.
Following the complaints, the leadership of PSTT dispatched its officers to outward Ijora heading towards Ijora-Olopa where the Customs officers are usually positioned.
On Monday, April 3, 2023, the PSTT officials met the Customs van with about five officers who had parked four trucks along the road.
The team leader of PSTT had asked the Customs officers why they were disobeying the directive of the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, that no officer is allowed to mount a checkpoint 40 kilometre from the port.
The officers were asked to vacate the place while the trucks parked along the road were asked to drive off. The next day, the team repeated the visit and met a different set of officers who were also asked to leave.
By Wednesday, April 5, 2023, when the team visited the area again, no Customs team was on ground. However, a Customs Agent, Jide Kolawole who spoke with Vanguard, commended the efforts of PSTT; charging the team not to relent.
According to Kolawole, “If not for the STT (PSTT) people, FOU people would not have let us rest as they are doing along the Mile 2 side. I do not know why they are not going to Mile 2 area the way they are doing at this side.
“They are not willing to leave the road because of the personal benefit,” he noted.
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