CGC Adeniyi Leads NCS, Wrestling Federation on Condolence Visit to Bayelsa Governor
By Titus Omajali
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, led a delegation of senior officers of the Service alongside officials of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) on a condolence visit to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, and the family of his late deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Speaking during the visit, the CGC, who was recently elected President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, described the passing of Senator Ewhrudjakpo as painful and deeply saddening, noting that the Nigeria Customs Service, by extension, shared in the grief of the Bayelsa State Government and its people.
According to Adeniyi, the late Deputy Governor was not only a close associate and dependable ally of Governor Diri but also a strong supporter of sports development in the state. He explained that Ewhrudjakpo’s role as supervisor of the Ministry of Sports brought him into a close working relationship with the Nigerian Wrestling Federation.
“As a board of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, our initial intention was to pay a courtesy visit to introduce ourselves to Your Excellency and to share our programmes,” Adeniyi said. “We were also to kick-start the National Wrestling Classic organised in your honour. However, as a mark of respect for the departed, the board has resolved to postpone the event indefinitely until after the funeral rites.”
Responding, Governor Diri expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Comptroller-General and his delegation for the condolence visit, describing it as a show of solidarity and empathy at a difficult moment for the state. He noted that the visit further underscored the strong relationship between Bayelsa State and the Nigeria Customs Service.
Eulogising his late deputy, Governor Diri described Ewhrudjakpo as a committed, loyal and dependable public servant who played a pivotal role in the administration of the state.
“My deputy was part of the active four wheels of the machinery of government in this state. That was why I sent him to represent me whenever I was indisposed. He represented me on several occasions at meetings of the National Economic Council,” the governor said.
The governor added that Bayelsa State had lost one of its finest sons and a strong pillar of the present administration.
While thanking the Comptroller-General of Customs for the visit, Governor Diri also acknowledged Adeniyi’s support in facilitating the clearance of the state’s gas turbines at the seaports following a presidential duty waiver. He disclosed that six of the eight turbine units had already been installed, while the remaining two were expected to arrive at the Lagos Port in the coming days.
Governor Diri noted that the delayed arrival of the turbines had slowed the completion of the Bayelsa State Independent Power Project, which was earlier projected for completion by the end of December, adding that the state would once again rely on the support of the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure timely clearance.
The condolence visit, he said, was not only comforting to the Ewhrudjakpo family but also reassuring to the people of Bayelsa State and its government.
