A group photograph with officers after the unveiling.
Story by Dili Utomi.
It was a day of encomiums as the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi Tuesday afternoon unveiled the marble slab used to mark the reopening of the renovated building at the Tincan Island Port Command.
The occasion was also used by the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Dera Anselm Nnadi to take a journey into the history of the Command which was established in 1977. He detailed the noble qualities of the pioneer Customs Area Controller of the Command, James Brige, the 97 year old former Area Administrator of the Command as the position was then known who was also physically present at the occasion.
CAC Nnadi noted that the occasion was a milestone in the fact that the physical structure at the Command had never been renovated since it was established. Comptroller Nnadi informed the audience that “The renovation of the building was a clear statement of intent to reinforce the CGC’s policy of consolidation, collaboration and innovation which are catalysts for achieving the core mandates of the Service”.
CAC Nnadi revealed that “The Tincan Island Port Command had at this morning generated the sum of One Trillion, One Hundred and Twenty Five Billion (₦1,125,000,000,000.00) Naira as against the Six Hundred and Thirty Nine Billion (₦639,000,000,000.00) Naira generated in 2023”.
Comptroller Nnadi said that the Command shall continue to tackle economic sabotage and also sustain good economic activities and businesses by making the goods clearing processes easy to be carried out in record time. He noted that “Without the good support of the CG, the renovation process would not have been possible”.
The CG handing an award to Retired Comptroller James Brige while CAC Nnadi is on the left.
There were goodwill messages at the event, Ifeanyi Emoh, the Tincan Island Port Command chapter vice chairman of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) said “The CG has done very well, but we need the portion of the constitution that specifies that a certain amount of generated revenue should be paid to freight forwarders to be implemented.
Segun Oduntan is the vice president of the Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), he noted that “Freight Forwarders are doing a lot to help generate revenue and that with better encouragement, they can do more”.
Tony Afolabi of SIFAX thanked the CG for his great contribution to the maritime sector, he added “We appreciate “.
Rocha Etienne of AGL noted that “We are committed to the improvement of Nigerian trade and we are glad to attend this milestone event”.
The Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi in his remark noted that “It is a fitting presence to have the former Area Administrator of this Command in our midst today”. He added that irrespective of the paramilitary group that one belong to that they all have a common mandate to government and the people of Nigeria, he commends the collaborative efforts of all sister agencies to achieve success.
CG Adeniyi expressed happiness that the story around the country is that of collaborative efforts yielding fruits in terms of all the key performance indicators. He also commends Comptroller Nnadi for all his hard work and intelligence and noted that he and his men should be rewarded for “This award winning project”.
The former Area Administrator, Comptroller James Brige (retd.) thanked everybody for the honour accorded him with the invitation to witness the unveiling of the renovated building, he advised all the officers to continue to work hard, putting in their best and leaving good legacies for others to emulate.
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