The Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, has approved the redeployment of all the Customs officers attached to the Tin Can 2 Command, Lilypond Terminal, Ijora, Lagos to Ogun Area command.
The transfer effectively shuts down the Lilypond Command.
The Controller of the command, Comptroller Lami Wushishi, has also been redeployed to serve at the Onne Oil and Gas free Zone.
The action is coming four months after the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) converted the Lilypond Terminal to a truck park as part of effort aimed at addressing the perennial gridlock bedevilling Apapa port access roads in Lagos.
Ali, who gave the directive in a circular dated August 14, 2019 and signed by Acting Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Human Resource Development, A.U Sanusi, a copy of which was sighted by SHIPS & PORTS, said the affected officers are to report immediately while their staff orders will follow in due course.
It was gathered that 30 officers of the moribund command were moved to Ogun while others have been redeployed to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
The Customs offices at the terminal have also been occupied by security officials, NPA officials and truck operators.
One of the officers who spoke with SHIPS & PORTS on condition of anonymity pleaded for the transfer of the remaining officers who have not been posted.
He said since the first batch of redeployment, the management has not released any other circular as to the next batch of personnel that would leave the moribund command.
He said, “We have quite a number of officers and men here awaiting redeployment since this place no longer exists as a command. But it has lingered for too long and it appears nobody is saying how we can be redeployed out of here. For the past four months, when this place ceased to exist as a full-fledged command, we just come here, sit and count the number of trucks and containers in and out of the facility. This is frustrating I must say.”
Source: Ships & Ports
