Great Expectations As New Customs CG, Adeniyi Starts Strong

For someone that has been saddled with strategic planning and the carriage of the image and integrity question of the Nigeria Customs Service on his shoulders for almost two decades, it is not unexpected that the newly appointed Customs Comptroller General, Bashir Wale Adeniyi MFR, will begin strong, reinvigorating the service through critical strengthening, prioritization and coordination.

Not only did he hit the ground running, he did so fully conscious of the task ahead, and as the leader of the team, gave full expression to the demand for team work with a deliberate and diligent tour of the departments of the service domiciled at the headquarters.

Instructively, the tour undertaken upon full resumption of duty not only clearly prepared the psyche of the management team for necessary reappraisal, reorientation and improved focus, the exercise in no uncertain term set the tone for a new awakening.

To emphasis the aforementioned prospects, the new CGC’s next step was the quick devolution of some strategic functions and their units to where they rightly belong, in the deft move to revive the service’s system process, coordination and oversight, which suffered some unavoidable interferences in the prior administration.

Included in the reordering exercise is the reversion of critical units back to the Office of the Assistant Comptroller General Headquarters (ACG Headquarters) as was the norm and as designed, and aimed at providing the greatest possible corporate governance system.

A circular released by the CGC’s Office, with No. Hq/014/2023 titled “REVERSION OF SOME UNITS TO OFFICE OF ACG HEADQUARTERS”, listed the affected units to include Air Wing Unit, Auction and Overtime cargo, Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Customs Police Unit (CPU) and Forensic Unit.

Hitherto, the units were either domiciled at the Comptroller General’s Office or the Office of Principal Staff Officer (PSO), who was a serving Brigadier General of the Nigerian Army.

The circular reads in part: “I am directed to inform you that the under listed Units have been reverted to the office of the ACG (Hqts) for effective service delivery and attainment of value for the Service.

“Consequently, all Correspondence relating to the above mentioned Units should be directed to the office of the ACG (Hqts) accordingly. This is for your information and wide circulation. Treat as important and ensure compliance please”.

Recall that Adeniyi in his maiden address provided an overview of his agenda that also itemized priority areas and include the following:

1. Capacity building and career advancement for officers, plus welfare.
2. Collaboration, engagement and partnerships.
3. Fairness, transparency and discipline.
4. Reforms and modernization
5. Harmonization, enforcement and trade facilitation.
6. Implementation of Customs Act.

While thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his appointment, Adeniyi recognized the delicate and tough decisions to make to be able to take the customs service to the next level.

He said, “Today, we gather here to mark the beginning of a new era in the Nigeria Customs Service. I stand before you as the newly appointed Comptroller General, humbled and honoured by the trust placed in me by our esteemed President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. This call to duty signifies a great responsibility, a responsibility to serve our nation as trade facilitators and enforcers of government policy. It is a delicate balancing act that demands professionalism, integrity, and the highest ethical standards.

“Over the past eight years, the Nigeria Customs Service has embarked on a journey of transformation, focused on reforms, restructuring, and revenue generation. We have witnessed critical adjustments to meet the evolving needs and strategic objectives of our Service. As beneficiaries and ambassadors of these reforms, many of us have played pivotal roles in training, retraining, and mentoring the future generation of Customs officers.”

Fully involved in the journey of the past eight years and central to the administration’s modest achievements recorded, the new CGC stated the following:

“Today, we stand at the precipice of an exciting future, one that builds upon the achievements of the past and takes us even further. Our administration is committed to adopting a bottom-up approach, where the needs of our dear nation take precedence over everything else. We will prioritize efficiency in service delivery as the bedrock of trade facilitation and revenue generation. No longer shall encumbrances impede trade; we shall dismantle obstacles and foster a new culture of consultations and compliance.

“In order to achieve our objectives, it is imperative that we bridge the current human resource gap within our ranks. We recognize the importance of capacity building and career advancement for our officers. The administration will work diligently to implement career advancement; opportunities approved by the board, ensuring that competence remain the sole criterion for assigning responsibilities and measuring effectiveness.  Our focus is on cultivating a highly skilled workforce that is equipped to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

“Staff welfare is of paramount importance to us. We acknowledge the harsh and hostile environment in which our officers and men are compelled to function. Therefore, we commit ourselves to prioritize the welfare and well-being of our personnel. By providing better remunerations, improved accommodation, life insurance, and quality healthcare, we aim to create an environment that supports and motivates our workforce. We understand that a well-motivated team is instrumental in achieving our aims and objectives.

“As we embark on this new journey, we recognize the need for collaboration and partnerships. We value the relationships we have built with our Partner Government Agencies and the private sector. These collaborations have been vital to our adoption of technology as a tool to enhance revenue generation and streamline processes. We will strengthen these partnerships and engage with stakeholders through revitalized platforms. By promoting dialogue, we can resolve disputes and advance mutually beneficial solutions that lead to more efficient and effective service. The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to treat its esteemed stakeholders as partners who have a stake in our success.

“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 forward looking, highly resourceful and target driven CGC did not forebear to declare that he intend to build on reforms and pother critical nuggets of the past administration.

“My predecessor had taken significant steps towards Customs Modernization, and it is our duty to build on those gains. Staff welfare and capacity building have been revolutionized under the previous administration, with the provision of decent packages and the introduction of staff courses. This administration will build upon those gains to ensure the continuous growth and development of our workforce. All these efforts will be channeled towards ensuring The new CGC who sounded upbeat with the recent signing of the Customs Act said:

“This act marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to enhance trade facilitation, streamline procedures, and strengthen enforcement measures. The new Customs Act provides us with a robust legal framework that aligns with international best practices, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and compliance in our operations.”

Unarguably prepared and equipped, Adeniyi also took a giant stride as he expressed his management’s willingness to partner the federal ministry of transport in the removal of overtime cargo from mother ports, as a way of deepening trade facilitation.

He made the declaration when the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani paid him a courtesy visit at customs headquarters.

With his hands apparently, already, perhaps some of the urgent tasks the new customs boss must quickly attend is to resolve the pending promotion glitz in which the names of seventeen officers were criminally removed from the promotion list, hours before the list was made public.

Unless Adeniyi decisively and timely reaffirm those promotions, the efficiency and productivity of the affected officers will continue to wane, owing to demoralization and loss of self confidence.

Perhaps, the last but not the least challenge calling for the CGC’s attention is the customs service’s present makeup and forced marriage with the military. Adeniyi has the onerous task to distill and de-militarize customs operations. Whilst there is no doubting the sincerity and good intentions of the immediate past CGC, Col. Hammed Ali (Rtd) in suffusing customs operations with personnel of other organizations, one cannot pretend that the outcome has produced some extraordinary results.

Indeed, there are concerns that the mixture created a potpourri of distortions in the otherwise responsive character of an average customs officer. While partnership with the military and related personnel cannot be wished away, such engagements should be targeted at specific desire; either in the area of weapon handling, tactical maneuvers and or self defence.