By Godwin Obi
The Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) , Wale Bashir Adeniyi has re-assured the members of the maritime press that his administration will operate an open- door- policy .
He gave the assurance during a dinner with select members of the Maritime Media at the Radisson Blue Hotel , Government Reservation Area(GRA), Ikeja in Lagos, on Sunday night.
Adeniyi said he would be focused and welcome ideas that would assist in enhancing the operations of the customs, and make the Service to be more effective and efficient.
The Ag. CGC stated that, having worked with many past CGs of Customs, he has garnered a lot of experience , which he would utilize to make the operations of Customs better.
He said for the fact that his regime will interface, and synergize will members of the Media , as a critical stakeholder in the economy, and welcome quality suggestions , adding that any failure in customs operations at any point in time , under his watch , will be a collective failure for all the stakeholders to share with him.
The new CGC further appealed that the Media as partners in progress with the Customs , should give constructive advice and report professionally, so that the customs can do better in its operations.
According to hIm, “This administration is firmly committed to fairness. We shall treat all stakeholders, traders, and officers alike with impartiality and respect. Our decisions and actions will be guided by principles of transparency and discipline. We understand that our conduct shapes the public’s perception of the Service, and we will strive to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethical behaviour. Indiscipline will not be tolerated as we prioritize fairness and equity”.
The members of the media at the event , however assured the Ag.CG , of their total support in terms of positive publicity on the activities of the Customs, as well as promised to give quality advice , while they also expressed their hope, that his appointment would soon be confirmed by the President Tinubu’s administration.
The Ag. CG had promised in some fora, to improve professionalism , welfare and human capacity development in the Service , while he has assured of a pragmatic move towards decongestion of Nigerian ports to enhance revenue generation, facilitation of legitimate trade and suppression of smuggling.
It will be recalled that Adeniyi was appointed into his present position by President Bola Tinubu last month in replacement of Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) , who was in the saddle as the Customs CG , for eight years .
The new Customs boss was conferred with a meritorious National Award of the Member of the Federal Republic(MFR), by the former President Muhammadu Buhari , when he was a Deputy Comptroller General (DCG), due to the meritorious service he has offered to Nigeria in different capacities in his carrier, in the Customs.
Adeniyi distinguished himself as an exceptional Image maker of the Customs , when he served close to six Customs Comptroller Generals , for almost two decades , until January 2017, when he was redeployed to the Apapa Area Command, and later promoted to a full comptroller.
He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller General in February 2020, shortly after he supervised the seizure of $8.07 million cash being illegally taken out of Nigeria through the E-Wing of the international airport tarmac, when he was still the Controller of the MMIA Command . He was later promoted to the DCG rank in 2023.
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2023-07-17
