Finally, Customs Deploys Scanners At Tin-can Island Port

Harboursandport.com: Lagos - Following the outcry over the delay in the deployment of scanners, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Tin-can Island Command has commenced the use of the two scanners deployed to it by the management.

Recall that the scanners were acquired for the Service last year to help reduce the 100 percent cargo examination process.

The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Timi Bomodi, said that the Service has fully commenced the use of the scanners while awaiting the official commissioning.

According to him, “The use of the scanners have commenced fully though it has not been officially commissioned. We are still waiting for the official commissioning.”

The use of the scanners is expected to reduce the cumbersome 100 percent examination of cargo at the port. The scanners are believed to have the capacity to scan 35 containers in an hour.

An agent who spoke with Vanguard on the condition of anonymity noted that it is a welcome development but wonders how long the scanners will work before Customs will claim that they have broken down or developed fault.

He called on the Customs management to ensure that they do everything to keep the scanners working and prove doubters wrong.

Similarly, a top management staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA told Vanguard that there are two issues with the scanners.

He said one is the capacity of the scanners which is below the level needed for a port with the volume of cargo like Tin-can and the position of the scanners which are outside the quayside and therefore containers needed to be transported from the staking area to the scanners and back.

The NPA official said the ideal scanner should have been those that could scan over a hundred containers an hour and should have been positioned by the quayside so that containers are scanned as there are being off-loaded from the ship.