Former Customs Spokesman, Wale Adeniyi, 6 Others Decorated As Comptrollers

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE with agency report

Comp. Wale Adeniyi

Mr Wale Adeniyi, former National Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) was on Wednesday decorated alongside six others with their new ranks of Comptroller of Customs by the Service management in Lagos.

The Zonal Coordinator, Zone “A” of the service, Assistant Comptroller-General Monday Abueh, who conducted the ceremony, urged the newly-promoted officers to increase their level of efficiency to enable the service achieve its statutory mandate.

Abueh told the Comptroller that they have to reciprocate the gesture back to the service by improving their performance in order to move the service forward.

He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), for allowing even spread of the promotion across the board.

No fewer than 3,487 officers benefited from the new promotion exercise nationwide.

Speaking on behalf of the newly-decorated officers, Adeniyi, said there was need to put in lots of hard work and discipline into the service.

“This is the first time the entire process is done by merit; we have to work to justify the confidence reposed in us. I do not have any doubt that the promotion exercise was rigorous. There were written exams, oral and perfomance assessment over a long period of time,” Adeniyi said.

He added, “If only 16 comptrollers out of 90 eligible people passed through this, it means there is something they have seen in us. I can assure you that my colleagues and I will put trade facilitation on the front burner.”

He, however, advised those officers who did not pass the promotion test, to be better prepared  next time, taking into cognisance, the socio-economic environment they function and the rules of engagement of the Customs operations.

An officer in the zone was decorated as a deputy comptroller, 16 others were decorated as assistant comptrollers of Customs.