…As House Speaker, CGC Adeniyi Mourn His Sudden Demise

By Muhammad Bashir

President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, commiserated with the Comptroller-General of Customs and the entire officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service over the sudden death of the Deputy Comptroller in charge of revenue at the National Assembly Complex, Etop Essien.

In a statement issued by President Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the President also extended his heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s family and described his passing while on an official assignment as, ‘most distressing’.

It was reported that Deputy Comptroller Essien slumped and died shortly after showing signs of discomfort during a presentation before the National Assembly House Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday, 25 June 2024.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, through the Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, had expressed shock over the unexpected death of DC Essien, saying, “We recognise the significant contributions he made to the Nigeria Customs Service and to our nation.”

According to Rotimi, officials at the National Assembly had made efforts to save the deceased as they rushed him to the National Assembly Clinic, but he unfortunately passed on.

In a related development, the Nigeria Customs Service, through the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, has expressed sadness over DC Essien’s passing, describing him as an accurate reconciliator of revenue who performed his duties with utmost precision and dedication.

Deputy Comptroller Essien, according to the statement signed on 25 June 2024, was born on 16 November 1967 and joined the Nigeria Customs Service on 27 November 1989 with over three decades of service to the nation.

“Hailing from Nsit-Ubium in Akwa Ibom State, he was known for his diligence and exceptional service record in the Account Unit.

“The loss of such a dedicated and valued team member is deeply felt across the Service. We are committed to supporting and assisting his family and colleagues as they navigate this difficult period,” the statement added.

The CGC stated, “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. His exemplary service and unwavering commitment to duty will be remembered and cherished by the entire NCS community.”

…Generates Revenue of N115B in 6 Months

By Lucy Nyambi

The Nigeria Customs Service, Lagos Free Trade Zone Command, on Wednesday, 26 June 2024, in Lagos, engaged with the enterprises and other stakeholders on the role of Customs in Free Trade Zones.

In attendance were the Managing Director, Lekki Free Zone Development Company(LFZDC) Zhang Bin, representatives of other zones’ management and sister agencies, as well as enterprise stakeholders.

In his address, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Olanrewaju Olumoh, stated that the gathering is a fallout of his familiarisation tour shortly after taking over and in line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi, which centres on Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation.

“We are taking a proactive step to see how we can broaden our understanding of all the procedures. The Customs leadership under the CGC is very passionate about the free zone. He recognises the free zone as a promising avenue for promoting Made in Nigeria goods, and he cherishes good stakeholder engagement.

“We in Lagos free zone, we recognise you to be the driving force that sustains the nation’s economy, and it’s very important for us to be on the same page together,” he added.

Speaking on revenue generation of the Command, the CAC expressed optimism about meeting the revenue target for the year.

“Our revenue is going on very well. We had an initial target of N108 billion, later moved to N136 billion. So far, we have had N41 billion in that aspect and in our Deep Sea Port, from the N8 billion that is expected, we already have about N74 billion, so cumulatively, the command has generated about N115 billion, and we are very optimistic that before the year runs out, we are going to meet and even surpass our revenue target,” Olumoh stated.

Stakeholders described the session as insightful while also commending the effort of the service in facilitating trade.

…As She Leads Campaign To Secondary Schools

By Muhammad Bashir

The National President of Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) and wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, urged children to maintain their goals of shaping their futures by shunning away from illicit use of hard drugs.

Adeniyi made this call when she led her executives and COWA members on a massive campaign against the menace of drug abuse at two junior secondary schools in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory: Junior Secondary School, Garki and Karu, to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The sensitisation was co-organized by National Bridge and Bond Initiatives under the leadership of Barr. Festus Onifade, started at the Government Junior Secondary School, Garki, where she commended the principal and teachers of the school for giving COWA the enabling environment to stage their campaign for the students.

“On this historic day, COWA deemed it necessary to come to you and encourage you all to be good citizens of this country. I am already seeing governors, president of this country and even officers’ wives – so don’t agree to jeopardise your lives and give up your dreams by venturing into drug addiction,” the COWA National President said.

The president, who described the war against drug abuse as a collective responsibility for members of society, encouraged all women to join forces to fight against drug abuse and illicit dealing in narcotics to produce a generation.

Meanwhile, the COWA National President has visited the Government Junior Secondary School in Karu, Abuja, where she charged students to be wary of keying into drugs usage, as it gives birth to deadly health issues, memory loss and other physical as well as spiritual disorders.

Adeniyi said, “We, therefore, wish to encourage you to be good children. Listen to your parents and teachers more and always do what is right to make your country better. I was impressed with the way you expressed your candid responses before us here, but I would like to let you know that we all make mistakes. However, that man is that who makes mistakes and grabs lessons out of it.”

The President, who encouraged the students to be committed to learning to help them acquire useful knowledge and skills to build their future and that of Nigeria, said, “We want you to support your nation by shying away from drugs. Be disciplined and avoid any form of misconduct either at school or at home to make our country better.”

Earlier, the National Coordinator of Bridge and Bond Initiatives, Barr. Onifade appreciated COWA President and her team for organising the event.

The international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking is observed annually on June 26, aiming to raise awareness on the problems of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
It also aims to encourage action and cooperation to achieve a society free of drug abuse.
This year’s theme is, ‘The evidence is clear: invest in prevention’.