By Felix Adeboye
There is no doubting the fact that Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s appointment as Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is a well thought of decision by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This is owing to the fact that, in one hundred days in saddle, Adeniyi has endeared himself in the minds of officers and men of the Service as well as the citizenry as the needed game-changer the Customs requires.
His one hundred days in office has witnessed a tremendous improvement in the service-delivery operations of the Service in the area of anti-smuggling, trade facilitation and revenue generation.
Adeniyi, without mincing words, has began to reshape the Service by his giant strides and applauding inspirational vision for the Service and Nigeria in general, which centres around his fervent belief in the principle of consolidation and collaboration with sister agencies, captains of industry and stakeholders.
This write-up is in reaction to one Yemi Adebowale’s comment on the CGC’s press briefing to mark his one hundred days in office, saying, “I was left depressed after listening to the acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, speaking on the smuggling of petroleum products and revenue generation at a press briefing in Abuja last week, organised to mark his first 100 days in office”.
He is just one hundred days in office, and cannot be expected to perform magic. It has to be one step after another.
Of course, smuggling of petroleum products in the border areas of the country is a long age phenomenal issue that requires time to be nipped in the bud, considering the fact that those in that business are like a cartel with diverse methods, of which the operatives are regularly demystifying.
For those familiar with border communities like Idiroko in Ogun State, you will agree with me that the axis is very porous, with thousands of illegal routes. There, we have several footpaths and creeks.
As a journalist, for Yemi to have raised this issue, rather than commending the new Sherif in the Customs, I think Yemi is acting his paymasters’ script, who will never see anything good in the CGC’s laudable and commendable efforts at repositioning the Customs for the betterment of the country.
Felix Adeboye , a public affairs commentator writes from Abuja
