By Steve Agbota
The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has denied reports of four vessels being stranded on the seaside due to challenges faced by the B’Odogwu platform, a new Unified Customs Management System.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos, the Controller of the PTML Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan, said 25 banks would onboard the B’Odogwu platform for seamless transactions.
However, he revealed that B’Odogwu has increased the revenue of the command since it was launched by the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, a few weeks ago.
“The allegation that the system was not working and vessels were stranded is not true. Vessels are coming to discharge and depart. Even the vessel turnaround time has improved in PTML since B’Odogwu was launched. The first person to transact on the system paid over N2.55 billion, saying that the system, being Indigenous, will have challenges, but we are improving and working on it every day.”
“Our command piloted the system, which means we are still test-running it, and we are working on it to make it perfect. As we are improving on it, we will move it to Tin Can Island, Apapa Ports, and all other commands. Those criticising the system are yet to onboard B’Odogwu. It is a system designed by Nigerians, and we must make it work,” he added.
According to him, the advent of B’Odogwu has been a blessing to the Nigeria Customs Service because it is coming with the programme: a diversification of transactions or shipments from other parts of the world.
“Initially, or formally, this terminal only dealt with Europe and America. All efforts were made to ensure diversification, and it has succeeded. So, simultaneously, or coincidentally, as B’Odogwu was coming on board, shipments started arriving from China and the East.”
“So, I will tell you that it is an additional stream of revenue for Nigeria’s Customs Service. If you look at our board, we have never had it so good. We have never had it so good. The first week of November, we recorded over N44 billion. So, you can see it right on the board, it speaks for itself,” he said.
However, he noted that a lot of stakeholders, agents, and some banks have already hooked up to the system.
“But I can say now, in the last hour, I spoke with my DCG. We are sure that by tomorrow, by God’s grace, we will have about 25 banks on board this B’Odogwu project. Prior to now, we had some banks like Access Bank, GTB, and others with their own platforms, which were not connected to InterSwitch.”
“They’ve been on board. And that is what most of our agents have been using to make their declarations and clear their consignments. But those on InterSwitch, because InterSwitch is a system of payment, have about 17 banks hooked to it.”
“They have to come on board as a whole. That is what the Nigeria Customs PTML Command has been interfacing with. Some of my implementation team have been working with these people,” he added.