Comptroller Ahmadu Shaibu has assumed duties as the new Area Controller, Ogun State Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), after taking over from Comptroller Bamidele Makinde, who was deployed to the NCS Headquarters, Abuja.
At the handing over ceremony held at the Command’s headquarters, Idiroko, Ogun State on Monday, the new Controller vowed to make the state unbearable for smugglers while assuring stakeholders of an open door policy.
“May I use this medium to assure the business community and our critical stakeholders that the new administration will operate an open door policy and strengthen the existing relationship with the command. However, let me sound a note of warning to smugglers and their accomplices, their nefarious activities will not be condoned, and anyone caught in the act shall be brought to book,” he said.
In his remarks, the outgoing Controller, Bamidele Makinde, noted that his administration recorded giant strides in revenue generation and seizure of contrabands to the tune of N6.6 billion.
“Within the 17 months in office, the command also recorded about 1,479 seizures comprising 1,245 rounds of live ammunition; 72,989 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, which is an equivalent of 122 Trucks load); 907 bales and 236 sacks of secondhand clothing; 394 sacks and 2,678 wraps of Cannabis Sativa and 655,400 litres of premium motor spirit (an equivalent of 20 tankers load), among others, with duty paid value of N6,604,107,655.92.
“For emphasis, during this period, the command generated a total sum of N225,009,835.50 as revenue. Interestingly, out of the revenue target of N136,532,168.22 set for the command for the year 2023, we have generated the sum of N127,122,058.00, which is about 91 per cent of the target, three months and some days to the end of the year.
“It is worthy of note that my tour of duty witnessed a significant increase in revenue generation and an improved anti-smuggling performance. The successes recorded would have been haphazard if not for the support of NCS Headquarters, concerted efforts of our gallants officers and men, and robust synergy with our critical stakeholders,” Makinde said.
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