By Stephen Ubanna
The era of Customs Operatives only thinking of implementing the service core functions of revenue generation, trade facilitation and enforcement from year to year, is over. This is because Bashir Addewale Adeniyi, MFR, who had worked with some of the former Comptroller Generals of the service, including Hameed Ali, a retired Army Colonel, and the incumbent Customs Comptroller General may have come to the conclusion that there is need for the officers and the Chairperson of the Customs officers Wives Association at both the national and Command level to take time out to have get together, where new ideas could be initiated.
The Customs Comptroller General who had followed logically the implementation of his strategic plans for the service: consolidation, collaboration and innovation, may have capped it with the approval for end of year party, by the Commands where officers and stakeholders can interact and share ideas,which had been applauded Customs quarters as very encouraging
Given that all the Customs Area Controllers both at the seaports and land border stations thinking had revolved round revenue generation, trade facilitation and enforcement over the years may have informed why the officers are very happy with the turn of events in the service under the Adeniyi Leadership.
. Comptrollers Babatunde Olomu, the Area Controller Apapa Command, and who had been crowned as the Comptroller General of Customs, 2024, officer of the year at the November 29, 2024, Customs Gala and Award Night in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, whose Command was said to have also been recognized by the Comptroller General at the Gala and Award Night as the Best in Revenue Generation Co and Trade Facilitation who had described the end of year part for officers to interact as many things rolled up in one’’ which is centered on management and partnership, was said to have cashed in on the CG’s support for end of the year get together to take the lead for other Commands to follow.
The Apapa Command end of year party may have been planned by the Command Organising Committee in a big way because of the invitation of the Comptroller to be at the party. The officers may have seen the one day get together as an opportunity to say’’ Thank You’’ to Compt. Olomu, for taking the Command to a new level, where it had been recognized at the Customs Headquarters and Government circles, both at the national and state level as a performing Area Controller, meaning that any Customs Comptroller that will be deployed to the Command in future may have work hard to beat the incumbent Apapa Command revenue and enforcement records.
The Comptroller General’s official engagement outside the country may have forestalled him from being at the Apapa Command party but he was said to have detailed Caroline Niagwan, a Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, DCG, overseeing Trade and Tariff, TT, to represent him. The Customs DCG, may have spoken the mind of the Comptroller General at the Apapa Command get together amidst cheers when he said that ‘’compliant traders to the Federal Government Fiscal Policies have no cause to worry, assuring that such complaint traders with continue to enjoy speedy clearance and exit of their cargoes from the nation’s seaports and land border areas.
The Customs DCG, who was said to have given a good account of herself was said to have taken advantage of being at the Apapa Command party, to emphasize the service’s commitment ‘’to providing necessary training, technical assistance and partnership to empower stakeholders, particular, importers with agents with knowledge and tools to take delivery of their cargoes at the ports and land border stations aligned with global trade practices.
She may have won the heart of the Freight Forwarders when she stated that the goal of the present Customs Management Team under the Leadership of Adeniyi, described as a workaholic in Customs circles is ‘’to ensure that every stakeholder remains competitive , innovative and aligns with global best standards.
She noted that by working together, they will be able to unlock greater opportunities in the nation’s maritime sector. She would want the country’s Freight Forwarders, described as a go between the Customs Operatives and the importers, not to see themselves as only contributing to national revenue generation but also involved driving the country’s economic development, attract foreign investment and help to advance the nation’s position in international trade.
Appealing to the importers with their agents to sustain the continuous effort in building a trade system that rewards integrity, supports capacity development, instead of contravening the government fiscal system through under declaration, under payment and concealment, stressing that it is the only way to foster mutual success between the parties.
The end of year party at the Apapa Command premises may have provided opportunity for Customs man of the year, Compt. Olomu, to recognize and give award to officers and stakeholders who had excelled in their duties in the 2024 Fiscal year. The Customs Area Controller, was said to have urged the awardees to see their recognition by the Command Management team under his Leadership as a call for more commitment ‘’to surpass their current inputs ‘’, stressing that there is no end to improvement.
The ever-smiling Comp.Olomu, may have put smiles on the faces of staff and management of APM Terminal, described as one of the biggest private terminals in the West African subregion, SIFAX Group,ENL Consortium, Dangote, and Talod Ocean Airfreight at the Command end of year party. This because the Concessionaires were recognized for their outstanding services that was said to have helped in improving the revenue generation of the Command on a daily basis, which was said to have earned the Command the Comptroller General’s recognition and award as the best in revenue generation and Trade Facilitation in the 2024, fiscal year for the service.
There are indications that one Princess Chi Ezeh, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Munah Sylva Nigeria Limited was not left out as she was said to have been recognized and given award for her outstanding performance in contributing significantly to the impressive revenue generation of the Command in the 2024 Fiscal year.
The Apapa Command Customs boss who may be losing some members of the Management team who were said to have been the pillars of the Command as they were said to acted out his script by blocking all Areas of Leakage as they were said to have been promoted to the enviable rank of Comptroller, which means that they may no longer be at the Customs Command level but at the Zonal or Customs Headquarters. Enough on Apapa Command end of year party. We turn to the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, which is basically an enforcement Unit, where the Command and Customs Officers Wife Association, COWA, FOU, Zone B, Chapter, under the Leadership of Hajia Shuaibu, had partnered to organize a party for pupils of Customs school, Renawa , Kaduna.
T Although, the Customs Comptroller General may not have sent a Representative to the Command and COWA , party for the pupils of Customs Nursery and Primary school, Renawa, but Compt. Bello Ahmadou, Shuaibu, was said to have mobilized his officers to be at the event that was said to be well attended as the pupils danced with cheers in full glare of their parents and stakeholders who were said to have turned out in their large number.
Hajia Shuaibu, the FOU, Zone B, COWA Chairperson, who was said to have given kudos to the Customs Comptroller General, had said that nothing like had ever happened in the Command over the years, meaning a change in Customs operations.
A resident of Kaduna, who had described Comptroller Shuaibu, as a workaholic had said that the pupils of the, Customs nursery and primary school Renawa, Kaduna had every reason to dance for joy and showcase their talents to entertain the guests because the school has been renovated and more amenities provided, as directed by the Customs Comptroller Genera as obtained in other Customs schools, both Nursery, Primary and secondary schools, across the country.
The Customs Comptroller may have taken advantage of the end of year party organized for pupils in the Customs primary and Nursery school in Renawa, Kaduna, to shower praises on the Teachers for their good work and the pupils for their discipline. He did not stop there. The FOU, Zone B, Area Controller, had said, ‘’We have to give the children befitting education as they are our children who deserves the best from parents’’.
The Customs Comptroller, who was said to have been ambushed by Journalists at the Renawa , Customs Nursery and Primary End of Year party, who had confronted him with questions on the Command anti-smuggling activities
The Jornalists worries was that the Command Patrol teams may not be doing much in their anti-smuggling operations in the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and the north central states of Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Nsarawa, Niger and Kwara including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. This is because of the activities of the Bandits Group, Lakurawa fighters and Herdsmen turned smugglers, who are posing as a threat to the officers.
As an officer, who knows his onions and who had deal decisively with the notorious smugglers in south western state of Ogun, where there are over 90 illegal routes that are used by the unrepentant smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities in the state, may have emboldened him to see the smugglers operating in the north western and north central geopolitical regions including the FCT, axis as not being different from those based in Ogun state, operating between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
He was said to have told the Journalists who had ambushed him that there was no cause for alarm as ‘’the Command operatives are everywhere’’, stressing that the Command had deployed ‘’emotional and local intelligence’’, to deal with the north western and north central geopolitical regions including FCT, based smugglers, without any loss of live.
The Customs Area Comptroller was said to have further told the news hunters that that the Command ‘’balances enforcement, trade facilitation, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR and the national security, which may have informed why the Command Patrol Teams could venture into difficult terrains to confront the smugglers and their drug suppliers and dispossess them of their smuggled items, particular, bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50 Kg each, bales of second hand clothing, fairly used vehicles, Tramadol and Analgen drugs.
Compt.Shuaibu had said that the Command could not have made a head way in its anti-smuggling operations in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Niger including Kwara, where the Violence has become the order of the day because of the activities of the Bandits Group followers, Lakurawa fighters and Herdsmen turned smugglers without the support of the Customs Comptroller General who is determined to contain the activities of the smugglers.
A senior Customs officer had told The online Magazine that Compt. Shuaibu, may not have been directly involved in leading a patrol team in the Command, but he was said to have guided the Teams, which was said to have resulted in the Contraband seizures that had had been made by the Command sine he assumed duties last February. Officers describe him as a man of ‘’many parts, who knows much about anti-smuggling operations’’.
