The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has ordered contractors (Port Plus Limited) to complete the maintenance of its two patrol boats as well as ensure the deployment before the end of November.
This came as the Service acquired two new patrol boats from Singapore to boost its anti-smuggling war along the nation’s waterways.
Speaking at an interactive session with maritime journalists in Lagos, Customs Area Controller (CAC), of Western Marine Command, Odaudo .A. Salefu, said that the CGC earlier inspected the boats to ascertain their condition.
Salefu said at resumption at the Command in January, he had written to the headquarters on the state of the two vessels but action was not taken until the appointment of the Acting CGC.
“I visited the vessel site to get first-hand information. Also, with the coming of the current Controller General of Customs, his first visit to Zone A was the two ocean-going vessels”, he said.
“I told the CGC that I met the vessel stationary and it was not in good condition. Also, the managing director of Portplus explained that the vessels were stationary because the raider control, general system, and fender were not operating”.
The CAC said the CGC inquired about the cost of repairing the vessels within 30 days and later instructed that they should be ready to sail within 40 days.
Salefu stated that he had a meeting last week with the consultant responsible for the vessels who confirmed that the repairs had been commissioned.
“I want to state that there is nothing like the N180 billion for the cost of maintenance as stated in the publication, but what we have received, as at the year 2021, was N23.7 million”, he said.
… Orders maintenance, deployment of abandoned vessels by November
