By Innocent Orok
Contrary to speculations that the new homegrown Customs portal B’Odogwu is not working, the Customs Area Controller of Ports Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command, Comptroller Tenny Daniyan on Wednesday said the new customs trading platform B’Odogwu has recorded successes since it was rolled out in the Command as it’s pilot stage with increased revenue.
Comptroller Daniyan during a press conference at the Command said though there are teethening problems, the B’Odogwu portal has come to stay at the command and no going back. He advice stakeholders to enroll into the platform as the command’s revenue has increased with the collection of N44.9b in the month of November 2024 which is the highest monthly collection ever made by the command.
Daniyan further said in addition to over five banks already hooked up to the system, the NCS ICT/Modernisation Department has concluded arrangement for the 17 banks that are on interswitch payment platform to come onboard and that a total of 25 banks will be linked to the payment system .
“The Customs headquarters have started interactions with the banks and this would be addressed by Thursday,” he said.
On the false information alleging that four vessels have been unattended to at the PTML berth due to B’Odogwu failure, the CAC said is not true. He disclosed that the command met with some of the stakeholders earlier in the week where all issues bordering on the challenges experienced by Clearing Agents were addressed and they were advised to engage the implementation team for further assistance.
He added that to facilitate trade, the command has bent backwards by applying manual methods to process cargoes and has established interface with the terminal operator to accommodate port users that have made entries on the platform.
The Controller said most Agents claiming inability to capture their jobs have not enroll on the platform and urged them to come forward for capture, if they have and that any challenges they faced will be addressed.
Explaining further, he said “B’Odogwu is a Nigerian baby that should be fed by Nigerians . We are weaning our baby from a foreign mother and I urge all Nigerians to support it. We are not going back to NICIS II. The use of NICIS II platform has come to an end in PTML as this is the position of the Service.
” We are aware that some of our Agents are yet to be fully acquainted with the additional requirements that were not involved in NICIS II. As the problems come up, we are solving them.
“Note that the management has dispatched an implementation team here to ensure our stakeholders don’t suffer. We were disconnected from NICIS II three months ago and we have fully commenced implementation of the B’Odogwu to grow our own teeth and serve the country better. We have left NICIS here in PTML and we are not going back.
“We are committed to get it right here before moving to Tin Can and other ports. Our turn around time for properly declared RoRo cargoes is still two hours, but this is dependent on compliance by the declarant. As a command, we will not sacrifice national security and revenue on the altar of trade facilitation.
” So far in November a total of 677 Bill of Lading have been processed, 292 have been captured and duties paid , while 375 are yet to capture. As at today, Wednesday over 98 people have paid their duties under B’Odogwu platform as more banks are coming on board” he said.
