Day Customs Gave Retirees Respect, Over And Above Pension

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

In an era when many retirees across Nigeria’s public service often complain of being forgotten, neglected or treated as relics by those who have taken over the reins of authority, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently wrote a refreshing chapter in institutional leadership when it received its retired personnel.

It was more than a pension dialogue. It was more than an administrative meeting. It was a reunion that restored memories, rekindled bonds and reminded retired Customs officers that they remain valued members of the Service they helped to build.

For many of the elderly officers who converged at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja, the gathering will remain a beautiful memory, one that demonstrated that retirement does not erase years of sacrifice and patriotic service.

Significantly, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, did not delegate the responsibility to a subordinate, as has become commonplace in many government institutions. He personally received the retirees, exchanged handshakes, shared warm conversations and listened attentively to their concerns.

That singular gesture carried a message more powerful than any prepared speech. It spoke of humility, institutional memory and respect for those upon whose shoulders today’s Nigeria Customs Service stands. The atmosphere reflected genuine camaraderie rather than official ceremony. Senior and junior retired officers interacted freely with serving management officials in what many participants described as a rare opportunity for honest engagement devoid of bureaucracy.

The meeting also produced tangible outcomes. The Comptroller General announced that the Service had released N7.61 billion to nine Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) for immediate payment to 4,237 retired Customs officers. According to the breakdown presented during the dialogue, Access-ARM Pension Managers will process payments for 1,223 retirees, Premium Pension for 2,268, Leadway Pensions for 403, TrustFund Pensions for 156, FCMB Pensions for 144, Veritas Glanvills Pensions for 28, Norrenberger Pensions for 11 and Fidelity Pension Managers for four beneficiaries.

Beyond announcing the payment, Adeniyi reassured the retirees that their welfare would continue to occupy a prominent place in the Service’s priorities.

He stressed that the Nigeria Customs Service must remain financially strong enough to meet both its operational responsibilities and its obligations to officers who had devoted decades of their lives to national service.

Equally important was his acknowledgement of the concerns raised by the retirees. He explained that the dialogue was deliberately convened to bridge communication gaps, encourage constructive engagement and reduce the spread of rumours and misinformation capable of straining relations between the Service and its retired personnel.

His words reflected an understanding that institutions thrive not merely on regulations but on trust, continuity and mutual respect. Members of the Customs Management Team, led by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Human Resources Development, DCG Tijjani Abe, also assured retirees that issues raised during the engagement would receive appropriate consideration at both Management and Board levels.

The retirees, in turn, expressed appreciation to the Comptroller General for creating a platform that allowed direct interaction with the leadership of the Service. They appealed for such engagements to become a regular feature of Customs administration.

Their request is understandable. Retirement often marks the end of active service, but it should never signify the end of belonging. Institutions that maintain enduring relationships with their retirees preserve invaluable reservoirs of experience, institutional memory and mentorship.

The Customs initiative therefore deserves attention beyond the confines of the Service itself. It offers a governance lesson for ministries, departments and agencies where retired officers frequently feel abandoned once they surrender official identity cards and office keys.

Leadership is measured not only by revenue generated, policies implemented or operational successes recorded. It is equally reflected in how an institution remembers those who once carried its flag.

By opening its doors to retired officers, listening to them, reassuring them and facilitating the prompt release of pension funds, the Nigeria Customs Service under Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi demonstrated that compassion and efficient administration are not mutually exclusive.

For the retirees who walked once again through the gates of Customs Headquarters not as forgotten veterans but as honoured stakeholders, it was indeed a beautiful day.

And perhaps, a memorable reminder that the finest institutions never forget their own.