ZAINAB JUNAID
As the jinx breaker, the outgoing Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba handed over the baton of Leadership to Comptroller Babatunde Olomu in style amidst cheers, accolades and encomium, Stakeholders of the Command on Monday, May 6, 2024, presented to him an award of excellence in recognition of his outstanding contribution within a short period of eight months.
The National Council representative and other freight forwarders extolled him for displaying high level of humility and professionalism in the course of commandeering Apapa Command and regard him as a Silent Achiever.
To them, the outgoing Area Controller has created good channel, synergy and understanding between Stakeholders and management of the Command with his high level of humility and professionalism. “We will enjoin the incoming Controller who is an enforcement Officer, always smiling just like the outgoing Controller to leverage on what Comptroller Babajide has done to achieve his mandate and also sustain the existing synergy with stakeholders,” they said.
In response, Comptroller Jaiyeoba who appreciated the gesture by the Stakeholders said the cooperation of the sister agencies and stakeholders are not taking for granted as they jointly worked to achieve their individual organizational goals and collective interest of making Apapa port, import and export friendly without undermining national security.
In his farewell Speech, Comptroller Jaiyeoba recalled how the support received from Officers and Men of the Command strengthened him affirming all achievements attained so far are product of teamwork and further enjoined all Stakeholders and Officers to triple the support and cooperation to the new Area Controller.
“As a team working together from different directions towards a common goal, we relentlessly pursued maximum collection of duty by preventing leakages, fought against smuggling and ensured that complaint traders enjoyed hitch free clearance under customs control.
“Between January and April 2024, the Apapa Command of NCS collected a total of N672,172,624,033.03 as revenue for the federal government. We have set the ball rolling for the actualization of our target and the officers I am leaving behind are focused on this. My optimism is not misplaced because we have all proven to be tested and trusted.
“It is noteworthy, to explain that in the month of April 2024 alone, the command generated N182 billion which is a record-breaking monthly collection in the history of the service.
“On February 23, 2024, we recorded revenue collection milestone by generating N16,021,660,412.00. This daily collection strengthened our cumulative figure. These are laudable developments coming at a time the port is not enjoying its full import trade potentials owing to so many factors,” he said.
On his part, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu saw his task at Apapa Command as a mandate that must be delivered diligently not only in revenue collection, fight against smuggling, but in trade facilitation and sustainable stakeholder engagement.
According to him, “The confidence that we won’t betray the trust reposed in us by the FGN, CGC and the entire management of the Nigeria Customs Service is premised on the reality that I am taking over a very organized command, where I intend to build on the successes of my predecessor.
“While promoting a robust customs community relation system where there will be regular interface with all government and private sector stakeholders, I shall upscale our enforcement with intelligence to ensure that only legitimate trade is allowed in Apapa Port and all the terminals within the command.
“Our tolerance level for smuggling of prohibited items, concealment, and declaration for duty evasion shall be zero and shall remain so.
“Just as Apapa Command is critical in Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). We will revive Nigeria’s readiness for improved trade with fellow African countries and the world at large. The management of the service is committed to evolving a more modern customs with Apapa Port being a nucleus to the implementation of the many trade facilitation reforms championed by the Comptroller-General of Customs.
“I want to urge our officers to brace up for the changes that will feature as fallouts of customs modernization, otherwise called e-customs, AEO, and many other groundbreaking World Customs Organization innovations like the recently introduced advanced ruling policy. This will enable them enjoy more gains of trading across borders in the global supply chain in line with the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), the WCO Supply Chain Management Guidelines, and the various national best practices,” he maintained.
