Nnadi, Bomodi, Olomu epitomize CG’s tutelage
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), under the administration of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR as Comptroller-General, is currently enjoying a leadership anchored on the management principles of Public Relations with mutually beneficial relationships between the Service and its internal and external publics.
Consequently, NCS officers hold the management in high esteem thereby creating a favourable environment for the Service to approach its multifaceted external publics.
American philanthropist and former CEO of Microsoft, Mr. Bill Gates once said: “If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations”. This apt saying underscores the importance of public relations to business and organizational growth.
Several years ago, the Comptroller General of Customs was the National Customs PRO and he started prioritizing investment in Public Relations training for his young officers. What dividends have yielded from those trainings?
Those young officers in the Public Relations unit, aren’t so young anymore, have become shinning lights for the Service and are displaying astute leadership skills as top Area Controllers at special Commands. Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, currently heads the Tin Can Island Port Command; Comptroller Timi Bomodi oversees the Seme Area Command; and recently Comptroller Babatunde Olomu fsi, took over the nation’s busiest port as CAC, Apapa Customs Command.
All three distinguished officers were trained as Public Relations Officers by Prof. Ike Nwosu – a PR guru – at training programme organised by the present CGC at Jos in 2004/2005 and were awarded Associate Members of NIPR at the same time.
The trio of Dera, Timi, and Tunde are journalist’s delight with their sagacious but honest approach to addressing pressmen; but their relationship with port stakeholders and border communities also inspires admiration. They place the port users as valuable customers at the centre of their activity and inspire their officers to do same. These elite officers also protect the interest of their community to an extent that they aren’t just accepted by their host communities, but are equally admired and adored.
Given the exploits recorded by these officers that are clearly attributable to the doctrines of Public Relations, some port stakeholders have advised the Customs management to expose more officers within and outside the PR unit to such high-level training to avail the Service more elite performers.
News Diet recalls that Dera Nnadi handed over to Timi Bomodi as Customs PRO Apapa in 2010 before proceeding to NCS Headquarters as Chief Superinetent of Customs.
In 2018, Babatunde Olomu and Dera Nnadi met again as Assistant Comptrollers of Customs at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru Jos where they attended the Strategic Command Responsibility Course (SCRCC).
Nnadi was to later proceed to NIPSS again in 2021, where he graduated and was awarded member national institute- mni while Olomu proceeded to the National Security Institute run by the DSS where he graduated and was awarded fellow of security institute – fsi.
The Seme border axis has become safe haven for legitimate trade and a nightmare for smugglers thanks to the focused and inspiring leadership of Comptroller Bomodi.
Bomodi, however, attributes this success to the Customs officers involved in day-to-day operations and the border community stakeholders including residents, traditional rulers, youth forums and security agencies.
To reward stakeholders at the Seme-Krake border and recognize high-performing Customs officers, Seme Customs Command hosted stakeholders and honoured exemplary officers for 2023 successes.
At Tin Can Island Port, Comptroller Nnadi introduced nighttime and weekend port operations which have been successful. Customs and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) helmsmen have resolved to expand the TCIP success to all sea ports nationwide. TCIP is also the pilot seaport for the implementation of Time Release Studies (TRS) to expedite cargo clearance and Nnadi doubles as the Chairman.
TCIP, under Nnadi’s leadership continues to exceed its revenue targets amid the tough economic times. Moreover, the port stakeholders biggest delight is the collaborative and engaging approach of the Area Controller who declared 2024 as the year of stakeholders.
High-profile seizures including guns and illicit drugs at TCIP brought the Customs CG to the command in January, but the Nnadi-led Customs has recently bursted another massive seizure with over 7000kg of cannabis.
Listening to the inaugural speech of the new Customs Area Controller (CAC) Apapa Port, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, one would speedily observe his focus, humility and sagacity.
Olomu has identified Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and robust engagements with port stakeholders, as his major goals as new helmsman at the Command.
Noting that Nigeria holds a strategic position for trade in West and Central Africa, Comptroller Olomu assured that the Apapa port will play a critical role in Nigeria’s participation in the AfCFTA.
His words: “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 (WCO) innovations like the recently introduced advanced ruling policy. This will enable them to 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 equally advised the Command’s officers to adopt a working principle to treat all official matters speedily; adding that no file should be left unattended to as such delays could mean slowing down government revenue inflow.
A big kudos to Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR for grooming men who are devout officers.
Since his appointment at CGC, Adeniyi has introduced a new ambience of professionalism, diligence and transparency at NCS. Robust stakeholders collaboration, worthwhile Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), among other technological and innovative approaches with emphasis on the various Customs stakeholders and the service personnel.
Adeniyi has the right officers, with the right skillsets, being deployed to the right offices. Therefore, there is no doubt that Customs will keep churning out the right results.
