… Assures Kaduna stakeholders of better days ahead
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, following his tour to the Kaduna Area Command, paid a sightseeing visit to Customs Primary School, Barnawa, to assess the condition of the facility.
This aligns with his efforts to promote education through Customs’ Social Program to the society.
Speaking to the School’s Assistant Headmaster, Adeshina Fatai, the CGC vowed to address both the short, medium and long-term needs of the school to create a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service, under his leadership, is viewing the problem at a superficial level and that “we’ll do the best we can to raise the spirit of this school to educate the wards of the residents properly. We have enough to chew to ensure that we renovate the school because we all love our children to have a better knowledge.”
Meanwhile, to deepen community understanding and appreciation of Customs operations and their impact on fortifying the country through curbing the menace of smuggling as well as revenue generation, the Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has met with representatives of business stakeholders on Thursday in Kaduna.
Addressing stakeholders at Kaduna Area Command, Ag. CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR stated, “The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to appreciate your harmonious alliance, which, in return, will redound to your partnership and compliance to Customs rules.”
“It is because we have a good relationship that you agreed to come and sit down with us here — whereas if the alliance is not good, you will just stay at the back of your fence and begin to talk down on us that there is no point to meet those people who don’t value us.” He said.
He, however, continued to applaud them over their honourable service to the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service in Kaduna, “I want to appreciate you for the service that you have rendered in Kaduna and to the entire structure of the Nigeria Customs Service.”
He assured them that the Service would soon reward them, emphasizing that without stakeholders, the Nigeria Customs Service wouldn’t have existed, “We respect and take you all with high esteem as our partners.”
“I am therefore extending a new hand of collaboration with you to work together so that we will always address your challenges because we recognize you as contributors in transforming the country through strengthening its security.”
The Customs Boss, who assured them that the Nigeria Customs Service will always grant them listening ears, also said President Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s administration is ready to boost their businesses. He said, “President Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s government is a pro-business administration.”
The Ag. CGC expressed the need to progress across the Service formations, a strategy aimed at strengthening relationships with stakeholders as a proactive measure to tackle the smuggling of prohibited items into Nigeria.
The Ag. CGC, however, seized the opportunity to congratulate the Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone ‘B’, Obi Ekwealo, on the occasion of his 60th birthday, which coincides with his statutory retirement from active service, “I wish to, on behalf of all of us, congratulate you on your birthday and inform you that the whole Customs family are extremely proud of you.”
Corroborating to the CGC’s speech, the Zonal Coordinator for Zone ‘B’ Assistant Comptroller General, Obi Ekwaelo, congratulated the Ag. CGC on his ‘well-deserved appointment’ by President Ahmad Bola Tinubu, saying that “the appointment has come at a time the Service is poised to transforming itself into the leading organ of revenue generation, trade facilitation and suppression of economic subversive activities.”
The ACG said, “Zone B, Sir, as you are aware, covers the largest enforcement area of the country with a landmass of 214,395 square kilometres, a border of 1,495km with Niger Republic while its border with Benin Republic spans 809km.”
