The leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service would hence, be wearing a new look following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of six new service chiefs into the Agency’s leadership structure.
The President made his appointments which were made known in a statement issued by the Nigerian Custom Services’ National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada (CSC) on Friday morning.
The appointments include three Deputy Comptroller Generals (DCGs) and three Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) for the Agency.
According to the statement, a former Customs Area Controller of the PTML Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Festus Okun is among the three new appointees to serve as Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service alongside DCG Baba Abdullahi Musa and DCG Albashir Hamisu, a former Customs Comptroller, Federal Operation Unit Zone B, Kaduna State.
Appointed to serve in capacity of the Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of the NCS are ACG Kamardeen Olumoh, a former Controller in charge of the Adamawa/Taraba Command of the NCS as well as Adeogun Alajogun and Auwal Baba Mohammed, a former Customs Area Controller for Port Harcourt Area II Command Onne.
The Presidents’ appointment of the new Customs top management team however, follows the appointment of the Acting Comptroller General (CG) of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi on June 19 and the need to replace senior officers of management cadre who recently retired from service.
According to the statement which read in part, the Acting Comptroller General of Customs “While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious service, congratulated the newly appointed Officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the Service achieves greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling and trade facilitation.”
Relatedly, the Acting Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi in a bid to review the Customs’ Enforcement Strategies, said his administration would do so by streamlining its structures.
The CG who had rounded off his maiden visit to some Area Commands and other Customs Formations in Zone ‘A’, spoke extensively about the need to make enforcement strategies more effective.
He spoke while at a meeting with Patrol Heads of the Federal Operations Unit in Zone ‘A’.
According to him, one of the steps taken to effect change is the withdrawal of the operations of the CGC Strike force Team to strengthen the Federal Operations Unit.
He revealed that consultations would be carried out with various Area Controllers to undertake a self-review of patrol operations while making a charge on the NCS’ personnel to be more professional without compromising national security.
He encouraged several other ethical standards while admonishing his compatriots and subordinates to always uphold the ethics of their profession and represent same in the discharge of their duties and outward appearance.
“This is what many of us met when we joined the Service. It means that the major enforcement arm of the Service is now Federal Operations, so you will be held responsible for whatever happens around your jurisdiction.
“You no longer have any other structure, of course. The Border drills are completely different. But within the Service, you are the number one Enforcement Agency and it is a huge responsibility given to you. I want to believe that you are up to the responsibility.
“We were doing it before, so let me say that if there are any of these structures placed above your head or under you that are making seizures, they are not doing anything new because it is what you have been used to doing and it is what we are challenging you to do.”
“This will also mean that the checkpoints will be reviewed and reduced because there are so many expectations from the Service in line with global standards.”
“Your Uniform is your Uniform and that is what you must wear; if you are in a difficult terrain, you put on the combat, you must not cover your face with glasses or tie your head with a turban, your Uniform must also have a name tag.”
Adding, CG Adeniyi said, “wherever your checkpoint is, your vehicle must be properly marked Federal Operations Unit; if your vehicle is not there nor marked, it is a violation of law.
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