By Stephen Ubanna
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the 59- year-old Osun state born and 14th Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, CGC, NCS, appears to have demystified the office, making it look ordinary and accessible to industry stakeholders.
Many had expected the Customs CGC, who was billed to be honoured with ICONIC Maritime Personality of the Year, 2024, by the Nigerian Maritime Journalists, NMJ, that caught across print, electronic and online Media Platform, in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre on the eve of Wednesday, February 13, 2025, to be accompanied by a retinue of officials from the Customs Headquarters, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Zonal offices across the country and the Area Commands but the reverse was the case.
The CGC, who was said to have had opportunity of serving under some previous Customs helmsmen, including Brig Gen. Song Ango, a -one -Sole Administrator of the service, as a growing career senior officer, appears to have seen it all that’’ power is transient’’ and noting too about the special office.
It was not surprising why he CGC, had been accompanied to the NMJ, event by his three Special friends’’, as he had called them’’, and his security details from the Department of State Service, DSS,and a few other people in his well- designed Native.
He may have disguised himself as he was said to have dressed in the same attire with one of those his Special friends to put those who may not have known him at a close range into confusion of identifying him in the crowded event, dominated by Lagos based Maritime Journalists.
The event which was billed to start 6PM, was said to have started behind schedule , though all the invited guests including Olayiwola Shittu, a renowned Freight Forwarder based in Port Harcourt, Rivers state but who has relocated to Lagos, the centre of maritime activities in Nigeria, Akin Larewaju, Chairman, Council for Registration of Freight Forwarders, CRFF, Charles Edike , an Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, ACG, rtd, who was described as an’’ Old Soldier Never Die’’, because of his walking steps and demonstration with his Walking Stick which had replaced his swagger stick , when he appeared on stage to talk on the invitation of the Master of Ceremony, MC to perform the duty of hand over the plague of the ICONIC Personality Award to him, with a large than size image of him, amid appluause.
Funny enough, only ACG. Charles Obi, Customs National Coordinator, Lagos, Zonal office, Compt. Babatunde Olomu, Area Controller, Apapa Command, the Best Command in the service Revenue Generation drive in 2024, and who incidentally was decorated at the last CGC’s Award Night at the FCT, and one or two other Area Controllers and their security details were at the event, meaning that Adeniyi, was not carried away by the paraphernalia of the of the office to give approval to the officers to be at the NMJ event to celebrate him.
He may have spoken the mind of other Zonal Coordinators , officers and men of the service when he reassured the CGC, ‘We are all loyal to you and ready to your biding to move the forward where it can compete with Customs Administrations in other parts of the world.
Abudullahi Aliyu Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and the service spokesperson, may have given an insight to why the Customs helmsman came behind the scheduled time for the NMJ, organized event through a press Statement of having been engaged in another official engagement.
The Customs Spokesperson had said that the CGC, had gone to the Federal Operation Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Command, where he had gone to perform an official assignment, which maritime analysts had said was t due ‘’to his passion for the job’’. AC. Maiwada, had disclosed that he was at the FOU, Zone A, premises, ‘’ to hand over 1,599 assorted arms and 2,298, Live cartridges to the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCALW, under the close watch of Johnson Babatude Kokumo, a Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, rtd.
Giving an insider information, AC. Maiwada, had said that the arms and Live cartridges, were intercepted and seized in 2018 in three Containers at the Tincan Island port, which currently has Compt. Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, a thorough bred Professional, as Area Controller, but warehoused at the FOU, Zone A, premises for accountability and proper safe keeping.
He noted that in handing over the arms and Live cartridges to NCCSALW officials, the CGC, once again has demonstrated the service commitment ‘’to protecting the country’s Land borders with other neighbouring West African countries of Republic of Benin, Niger, Chad and the Central African country of Camerroun.
Talking tough, the Customs Spokesperson, who may have spoken the mind of the Customs Comptroller General, had said that the service will ‘’spare no effort and resource in hunting down, exposing and prosecuting anyone who attempts to compromise the national security through arms and Live cartridges smuggling either through the seaports or illegal routes, across the country’’.
The no nonsense CGC, may have taken advantage of the opportunity provided to hand over the arms and live cartridges seizures , to DIG. Babatunde, rtd, on behalf, Nuhu Ribadu, an Assistant Inspector General, AIG, and former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commmission, EFCC, and now National Security Adviser, NSA, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ‘’to commend the officers’’, both serving and retired, involved in making the spectacular arms and live cartridges seizures.
The joy in the face of DIG. Babatude, rtd, while receiving the seized arms and live cartridges from the Customs Comptroller General, knows no bounds as he was quoted to have said that ‘’the security items would be handled in accordance with international best practice’’.
Appealing to industry stakeholders ‘’to remain vigilant and to continued collaboration with the Customs and other security agencies personnel at the port, he noted that ‘’ it is the only ‘’to ensure that the country under the Leadership of President Tinubu, remains resilient against the scourge of illicit weaponry’’.
Back to the NMJ, venue, where the dignitaries, and Journalists were anxiously waiting for the CGC, and his entourage, his arrival was said to have electrified the environment, amid tight security. One of the dignitaries in his remarks had jokingly said that Adeniyi, the Customs Chief, has continued to receive awards both within and outside the country querying ‘’who is still left to give award him given his impressive performance in office over the last one year’’.
Prince Shittu, who was the Chairman, of the NMJ, Award of the ICONIC Maritime Personality of the year, 2024, according to an eyewitness account was short of words to describe the athletic-built CGC, but had congratulated him for his impressive performance over the last one year in office and wile also thanking him and his Management Team for ‘’suspending the 4% , Free on Board, FOB, as enshrined on the Customs Management Act, 2023, passed by the National Assembly , signed into Law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
ACG. Orbih, overseeing the Lagos Zonal office comprising of 17 Commands was said to have made an earth shaking remarks when he noted that the CGC’s policy thrusts of Consolidation, Innovation and Consultation, laced with developing and maintaining electronic systems for information exchange between the service and other security and relevant government agencies personnel, particular, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, including the terminal operators, shipping companies , and other stakeholders bear eloquent testimony to modernization of the service.
. The ACG, had alluded to the fact the CGC, exposure to international best practices based on his frequent Trainings abroad and several high profile meetings which he had represented the service at the World Customs Organization, WCO, which was said to have resulted in the deployment of the cutting edge technology ‘’Odogwu Clearance System which importers with their agents and other stakeholder are currently benefitting from through faster clearance times for imported cargoes and improved efficiency at the nation’s seaports and Land border stations are also instructive.
The fallout was the improved revenue generation of the service and trade facilitation drive. From a revenue target of N5. 1 trn, in 2024, the service under the Leadership of Adeniyi, had generated and paid int the Federation account the sum of N6.1trn.
This may have informed why the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance had set a N12 trn, revenue target for this service this 2025 believing that Aeniyi, who has the magic wand to meet and even surpass the target., will still do so Vintage Adeniyi, a Natural Leader.
