The Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has kick-started the process of reinvigorating the corporate social responsibilities programs of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to give back to society.
Adeniyi said the NCS has a responsibility to support and assist communities where they operate and carry out their mandates.
He made this known on Monday when he extended a hand of fellowship to Dorian Home in Akure, Ondo State, an orphanage home for charity and social development.
“We’ve seen that this place has capacity for almost a thousand kids, so they need to feed them, they need to clothe them, and they need to provide them medicaments. So in any of these areas periodically, we would be looking at our stores, and we would be sending off those kind of items that can assist them to achieve the objectives for which this kind of homes are set up,” he said.
Adeniyi also visited the Ondo/Ekiti Area Command of the NCS where he commissioned and inspected the newly renovated residential accommodation for officers and men of the command.
“You have a role to ensure that the products shipped out of this place meet international standards. You must not do anything to delay the processes, ensure that they do not stay too long in your hands, documentation must be done in good time so that the products do not get bad before they’re shipped out of the country,” he charged the officials of the command.
The Customs boss also visited the palace of the Deji of Akure, Oba Alade Aladelusi.
“Customs will continue to be a responsible government agency, respecting the laws of the land and maintaining a very good relationship where we operate,” he told his host.
Before heading to Akure, Adeniyi had visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun.
Describing himself as an “Ibadan man”, the Customs Comptroller-General said the Olubadan was the first monarch he visited officially to show recognition and the importance attached to the stool.
He said all the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service revolve around the community and the importance of the traditional ruler in that regard is a crucial factor.
“All what we are doing in the agency are community-based and there’s no way we can take such critical stakeholders for granted. I am here in the palace to seek royal blessings in recognition of our traditional rulers as the custodians of our culture and traditions. We acknowledge Your Majesty’s support, understanding and cooperation over the years and I covet the same to take the agency further in height of performance, professionalism and efficiency,” he said.
The Olubadan, in his response, described NCS as the life-wire of the nation’s economy and an agency to be proud.
“We urge the new ACG to remain focused and committed to the mandate of the agency in sustaining the nation’s economy and improve on the existing template of revenue generation towards making a remarkable impact during his tenure,” he said.