The Nigeria Customs Service has vowed to go after smugglers bent on sabotaging the revenue drive of the government.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Wale Adeniyi stated this on Saturday in interview with State House Correspondents shortly after receiving an award at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service event held at the Banquet Hall of the State House Abuja.
Adeniyi said NCS is on the heels of smugglers and would continue to ensure that Nigeria’s borders remain safe.
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“What we do goes beyond revenue. We are also saddled with a security mandate. We protect our society and we regulate trade across the borders.
“We are doing security. We are running after smugglers to ensure that Nigeria is safe. I am happy that we are keeping our borders safe. Those who have attempted to compromise our integrity have been disgraced and we will continue to do that. We are doing all of these without compromising our mandate of facilitating trade,” the CG Customs said.
He also said through the efforts of officers and men of the Service, revenue generation by the Nigeria Customs Service has increased in the last year.
“We are firing on all cylinders. We have three major mandates. We are supposed to be generating revenue for the government. We have done over Four Trillion Naira in the last one year,” Adeniyi said.
A recent ranking by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) showed that the Nigeria Customs Service was among the top performing government agencies. Mr. Adeniyi noted that it was not a sheer coincidence but a result of commitment and hard work of his men.
“We moved up 27 steps from 28 per cent that we were just about six months ago, we are now 100%. We have now joined No.1 with four other agencies of government. So that makes me happy and it also shows that, when we facilitate the environment around trade, it can help to increase revenue,” CG. Adeniyi emphasized.
On the NEAPS he received, the Customs boss said it was a recognition not only for him, but the entire Nigeria Customs Service. He said the award would spur them to do more.
“It is a very good feeling for you to know that you put in your best in what you do and you are appreciated. I’m indeed very delighted to have been specially recognized today. But then you all know that it is not a recognition for Wale Adeniyi as a person. This is a recognition of the institution that I represent. It’s a collective recognition for what every Customs Officers and men, serving in different parts of the country, are doing to mobilize resources for economic development,” he said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima presented the award on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the elegant event which was organised in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Those awarded at the event included former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass, Governors, Ministers, Private sector players including Aliko Dangote among other public servants.
