From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
Importers of foreign goods in Aba, Abia State, have decried the spate of harassment, intimidation and extortion, they suffer in the hands of officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
They said the untoward situation deprives them of money, thereby making life more unbearable to them. The traders have sent out a distress message to the state government, to come to their rescue by stopping the Customs men in their tracks.
They made representations on the issue to Governor Alex Otti, through his Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, while on a familiarisation visit to the Eziukwu market. The commissioner’s visit provided an opportunity for the formal inauguration of the market’s grand patrons, zonal leaders and other officials who would see to the overall wellbeing of the traders and visitors.
They lamented the huge negative impacts Customs’ incessant raids across major markets in Aba have been having on their businesses, warning that they may no longer continue with the ugly situation.
Chairman of the market, Alphonsus Udeigbo, who spoke for the traders, said they could not fathom why the Customs turned all the markets in Aba into border posts. He noted that the traders have resolved to put an end to such unprofessional and extortionist tendencies.
“The Customs operators should go to the borders. We are not against them performing their assigned roles. But what we, the traders, will not accept is for them to leave the borders and continue to harass and extort innocent traders at the markets. Smugglers of outlawed goods operate within the nation’s borders, and it does not make any sense to leave the borders and begin to obstruct business activities in the markets inside the cities,” he said.
Responding, the commissioner assured of the readiness of the Otti-led administration to create a conducive business environment throughout the state.