FG to disband task force on illegal goods importation
The federal government has said that it is not aware of the existence of the ?National Task Force to Combat Illegal Importation of Goods, Small Arms and Light Weapons nor is it aware of any law or authority setting up the task force.
Consequently, it has directed the immediate disbandment of the task force.?The Federal Ministry of Finance which made the declaration in a letter to the ?National Security Adviser (NSA) alerting it on the operations of the illegal ?task force said it only became aware of the existence of the task force ?following a letter it received from the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Ministry's letter, Ref. no., F2756/T/68, dated 5th January, 2011 and signed ?by Bukhari Bello, Director, Legal of the ministry which was sighted by our reporter made it very clear that the ministry does not have anything to do with the task force and that the Finance Minister has directed that the body be disbanded immediately.
'I am further directed to inform you that the Honourable Minister of Finance is ?not aware of the existence of the above-named Task Force to combat illegal ?importation of goods, small arms, ammunitions and light weapons. He is not also aware of any law or authority establishing same. Consequent upon the above, the Honourable Minister has directed that the said task force be disbanded immediately,' the letter stated.
The ministerial declaration is coming against the backdrop of speculations ?perhaps fuelled by those behind the illegal task force that it was set up by the ?Ministry of Finance and, in fact, has an office at the ministry.
A source at Finance Ministry which craved anonymity said the Ministry had ?investigated the task force and discovered that its setting up was influenced by some fraudulent clearing agents and importers who wanted to operate under the cover of the task force to perpetrate their illegal activities.
The source further said that some government officials may have been deceived into approving the task force whose terms of reference was not clear to government. Moreover, appropriate security checks were not run on the operatives of the task force before they were recruited and began to operate.
According to the ministry official, the investigation also revealed that the ?said task force received more than 25 Toyota Hilux Pick-Ups for their operations from the same importers and agents whose nefarious activities they are supposed to checkmate. Maritime industry operators have been crying out against the coming of the task ?force and its operations which mainly consisted