Monitor commercial banks over false import declaration, group tells CBN
A Non-Governmental organization under the aegis of Social Integrity Network (SIN), on Tuesday, commended the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for giving adequate support to the local manufacturer in order to stabilize their businesses.
The group also urged the CBN to regulate and monitor the commercial banks, which it suspected to be behind the economic sabotage affecting industrialization through aiding and abetting smuggling and false declaration of imported items.
Spokesman of the group, Mallam Ibarhim Issa, stated this while speaking to pressmen after a peaceful protest rally in Kaduna, North West Nigeria.
Issa noted that, “It is saddening to note that the Pre-Shipment Inspection that was cancelled during the tenure of the former Comptroller of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has further paved ways for bandwagon effects.”
According to him, “We want to categorically ask that, was the cancellation approval granted by the President and Commander-In-Chief, by the leadership of the National Assembly, by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice or by their personal decision?”
This was as he said: “It is on record that the manufacturers have been clamouring for the return of Pre-Shipment Inspection but unfortunately, no attention has been given to their request while many companies that have been found to be culpable in this regard are yet to be sanctioned. Destination Inspection imposed is full of corruption due to lack of efficiency and transparency in the exercise.”
He however stressed that, “It would be recalled that recently, we all woke up to a widely spread news reports by a group under the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN). i.e Galvanised Iron and Steel Manufacturers Association (GISMA) with the alert of planning to lay off 20,000 workforces into the labour market.
“The 30 days warning alert was given due to the collapse of some sectors of Nigeria economy precipitated by massive smuggling of substandard products into Nigeria, targeted at collapsing the local manufacturers.
“However, our investigation has revealed that smuggled substandard steel products have flooded every nooks and crannies of Nigeria thereby subjecting local manufacturers to serious economic and social investment misfortune. This is the main reason why the huge sums of money voted to combat insecurity is yet to manifest while many Nigerians are dying on daily basis.
“Gentlemen of the press, we think it is worthwhile that a national debate be organized for experts to give their opinions on the Pre-Shipment Inspection cancellation while we urge the leadership of the 9th National Assembly to quickly investigate this action before it collapses Nigeria’s economy.
“The Federal Government should urgently engage the Standard Organization of Nigeria to defend the many allegations against it by the manufacturers and give detail accounts of how substandard roofing sheets are finding their ways into the Nigerian markets despite the MANCAP and SONCAP fees imposed on importers and exporters.”
