INTERVIEW: How I Survived Animals Attack,Threats from Smugglers As Customs Officer- Malanta Yusuf
Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf, a recently retired Assistant Comptroller General of Customs spoke to Ismail Aniemu on the sidelines of a retirement party in his honour in Abuja.
He gave an insight into his strategy to beat challenges, advise for upcoming officers and plans for the next phase of his life
Q: In very clear terms how do you feel having attained this height in service and you are being celebrated today?
I feel relieved ,excited and entering a new phase of my life with so much hope for the future.
I am highly honoured to see the crowd and calibre of people that came to this occasion.I never expected this calibre of people. What I planned to be a modest ceremony turned out very huge. Truly, I am full of appreciation for the love shown to me over the years and today.
I didn’t even remember to invite many people because the time was short and I was considering the distance they will travel to be here but they surprised me by traveling from different places to celebrate with me
This selflessness, I can never take for granted because they all came when they heard about it. This is an evidence showing how I am loved and what or who I am to all of them.
Q:what will you describe as the most challenging moment of your career as a Customs Officer?
Every job, profession or career comes with their peculiar or specific challenges beyond the generic day to day issues.
As a customs officer, who insists on collecting maximum revenue for government and stopping smugglers from bringing prohibited things into our country, you must be confronted by resistance from persons that prefer doing the wrong things.
I have also faced life threatening situations in the course of the work but I never compromised
I want to say that I have been facing risks from day one.I remember when I just came into service, I faced risks.One of the risks I faced was that I was sent for a patrol and I was attacked by wild monkeys. This was a very dangerous situation for me as a young man then.
That was a huge risk and subsequently, I have been facing a lot of risks.The last time,when I made seizures of drugs and other things in the port,I faced a lot of risks, challenges, threats from unknown persons for doing my job.
When I was a TS, I faced so much threats too. As a customs officer, you are bound to face a lot of threats and challenges because we are revenue collectors and those attempting to evade payments to government won’t like us
In all of these, I stayed determined, resolute and focused obeying directives from my superiors, keeping to our books of instructions like the tariff and the then Customs and Excise Management Act.
One of the most challenging thing I have faced in life is when I am brutally frank.People will look at it and read different meaning to it.But to me, that is me. I have to say it the way it is.
I can look into your eyes and tell you, we are seizing your goods and your are under arrest. I can tell you without mincing words that we have a demand notice, which we call DN for you to pay more money to government because I will not allow you to cheat my employer, which is the Federal Government of Nigeria
I learnt on the job and allowed the acquired knowledge to guide me. Today to the glory of Almighty Allah, I have no regret
Q:What is your advice for younger officers you have left behind?
My advice to them is to remain focused, resilient and make sure that they have empathy, integrity as guiding principles.
Q:What do you want to do with your post retirement life?
I want to be with my family, my aged mother and make sure that I give them the best time they missed from me. This is my first ambition
before I can take the next step.
