Tag Archives: Ali

Smugglers kill 70 Customs officers in 2016 – Ali

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The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has disclosed that the service has lost 70 officers to smugglers this year.

Ali said this when members of Rice Millers Association of Nigeria visited on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the biggest problem Customs had was the issue of smuggling. According to him, rice smuggling is counterproductive to health, adding that the life span of rice is two years.

He said most of the smugglers re-bagged the rice and changed their life span to three to five years.

“The borders are porous and they are long. All the smugglers and rice millers are targeting December, and I can assure you that we have alerted all our men and also working with police, military and para-military to make sure that smuggling is reduced to the barest minimum.

“All we need from you is information, because it is key to what we do; we cannot achieve much without correct information.

“You (millers) have said that you have identified some routes; all we need is the correct information about this route to track these smugglers.

“I was in Benin Republic few months back to speak with Benin customs and identify areas of collaboration and see what can be done to make sure that the trade between us does not jeopardise Nigeria’s economy.

“The Benin economy is dependent on Nigeria and the only thriving business there is the port,” he said.

Ali urged rice millers to work effectively with Customs to complement the area of information.

According to him, “Customs will deploy every possible means to fight because most of these smugglers are highly technically organised.

Corruption: Tension Mounts as Customs set to prosecute 46 dismissed officers.

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Palpable fear and tension have engulfed forty-six affected Senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) who were sacked last week by the board of the service for actions considered capable of compromising national economy and security. The dismissed will be prosecuted in the court of law.

The sacked officers were indicted for alleged involvement in shady physical examination and release of containers without proper documentation, payment of duties, illegal release of goods in advance before the arrival of vessels, collection of bribe to release prohibited items. Other offences are release of export prohibitions, fraudulent sale of seized items, use of fake certificates and bribery to secure auctioned goods.

The trial of the officers were sequel to the threat of the Comptroller-General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to jail any officers found to be corrupt in the service.

This was even as we obtained list of the forty-six Senior Customs officers sacked by the CG last week.

In an internal memo from the board of the service to the Comptroller-General of Customs, tagged: Forwarding Letters of Retirement, Termination, Dismissal, Exoneration, Warning and Upliftment in Rank with Reference number NCSB/ABJ/AP&D/S.D/VolXV/56 dated 13th October 2016, the affected officers with their service number include: Imam S.U, 39114; Balarabe S,38818; Maigar. M, 39183; Shuaibu I.J, 42732; Haruna K, 43002; Jimoh A.S, 40747; Hamidu H, 42236; Hamisu S.G, 36143; Anigwe M.E, 28160; Alfa Y.D, 41718; Abdulahi M.S, 38249; Sale A.S, 35929; Madaki J.M, 34642; Naramu’Azu Usman, 36441; Isah A, 36600; Bello A, 42504; Bello A.M, 39123; Abdullahi R, 38752; Sale H, 35738; Sani. B, 36223; Garba. H, 35717; Owunaka T, 36492.

Others are, Olorunhundo G.S, 50152; Mustapha M.T, 35477; Mbanefo P.C, 41225; Ekong N.A, 36863; Dahiru A, 32629; Azodoh A.C, 30611; Orukalama T, 33227; Mahdi A.Z, 36754; Kalama B, 50950; Duguri Z.I,36507; Daze P.D, 37618; Ohamobi C, 32241; Olajumoke O, 38620; Johnson D.H, 34492; Idris A.Z, 37083; Andrew A.A, 36698; Suleimon A.A, 43040 and Dan Ali M 41440.

Recall that the Comptroller General during his visits to various commands of the service threatened to discipline, dismiss and jail corrupt officers found guilty of corrupt practices.

He has also told the officers during his visit that he was deployed to reform the service.

Ali said that there was the need for officers to be of good conduct and show professionalism while carrying out their duties.

Ali said his administration would have zero tolerance for corruption, hence the need for officers and men of the service to shun all forms of corruption.

Edo guber: Sheriff Not in Support of PDP’s Rejection of Result

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Disputed National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, said he did not support Thursday’s rejection of the yet-to-be-declared result of Wednesday’s governorship election in Edo.

He said that the rejection of the result ahead of its declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was pre-emptive.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PDP in Edo, at a news conference in Benin, announced its rejection of the result of the governorship poll.

Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, who addressed the media, alleged that the outcome of the exercise had been pre-determined by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, at the time of the news conference, collation of results of the election was ongoing at INEC secretariat in Benin.

Speaking on behalf of Sheriff, Deputy National Chairman of his faction of the party, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, said, “we will await the final announcement of the result, consult widely before making our decision public”.

He said the national leadership was concerned about issues arising from the election, and called for restraint from members and supporters.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, had in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday warned that the party would reject the result of the government poll if the antics of APC continued.

He accused the Edo Government of sponsoring massive irregularities in the election.

The opposition party had earlier warned INEC that it would not accept any result different from what was announced at the various polling units in the state.

Pacquiao Pays Tribute To Ali ‘The Greatest’

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Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest boxers of his generation, led Philippine tributes to Muhammad Ali on Saturday, as he joined his fellow countrymen in mourning the American legend’s death.

“We lost a giant today,” Pacquiao, the only man in boxing history to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, said in a statement.

“Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali’s talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Ali family,” Pacquiao added.

The boxing-crazy Asian nation was the scene of one of Ali’s greatest triumphs, the epic “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975, when he scored a 14th round technical knockout of Joe Frazier in their third and last fight.

A Manila shopping mall, built near the coliseum that hosted the bout, unfurled a large poster of Ali on Saturday in tribute. Hours before the family announced Ali’s death, Pacquiao, who won a seat in the country’s Senate in last month’s elections, posted Ali’s picture in his Instagram account and urged fans to “keep Muhammad Ali in your thoughts and prayers”.

Credit: vanguardngr