Incredible: Nigeria's Customs men can't operate scanners!

Nigeria customs men at a meeting

Nigeria customs men

Officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are not fully equipped to operate and maintain very complex equipment like scanners which requires a lot of expertise and discipline, according to Global Scansystems Limited, one of the service providers handling the destination inspection scheme.

Mr. Fred Udechukwu, managing director/CEO of Global Scansystems Limited, said this while presenting a paper titled “Destination Inspection: Which way after December 2012” at a one day seminar organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) at the International Maritime Press Centre (IMPC) in Apapa, Lagos.

Udechukwu, who was represented by Mr. Ogbogu Kenneth, the company’s operations manager, stated that there is “a serious skill gap in the Nigeria Customs Service” hence hindering its ability to take over the scanners at the end of this year when the seven years contract between the Federal Government and the three service providers namely Cotecna, Global Scansystems and SGS will terminate.

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“The officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service trained to take over from us are not fully equipped to operate and maintain very complex equipment like the scanners which requires a lot of expertise and discipline. This has serious health implications as uncontrolled x-ray dosages can be emitted into the atmosphere. Also the maintenance of these scanners are programmed and planned to prevent breakdown and its huge financial implications.

“There is a serious skill gap in the Nigeria Customs Service until recently they did not show sufficient interest in the DI scheme and training. This will have to be addressed and adequate training given to them both within and outside the country before we can comfortably hand over to the service”, he said.

Reported by Nigeriacommunicationsweek.com.ng

Nigeria customs men at a meeting: reports said officers can’t handle scanning machines

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