Newly posted Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Area 1 Customs Command, Lagos, Dr. Babatunde Olomu celebrates one year in office of the incumbent Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with the collection of N18 billion revenue in one day, an unprecedented amount collected in a single day since the Command was established
By Innocent Chukwu
Precisely around this time in June last year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Mr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC). The incumbent CGC for the revenue collecting agency, Adeniyi has since his appointment, worked hard to reposition the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to become a model paramilitary agency in the areas of generation of huge revenue for the nation, facilitation of trade and security of the country by blocking the entrance of outlawed imports, as well as arresting any that found their way into the Nigerian territory.
At the NCS commands level, Adeniyi has ensured that only competent officers are appointed to manage their affairs in order for the managers to key into his set out agenda for the NCS which includes effective suppression of smuggling, trade facilitation to achieve increased revenue generation for the Federal Government.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) at the Apapa Area 1 Customs Command, Lagos, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, was redeployed from his Comptroller Special Duties Position at the Customs headquarters, Abuja last May to head the Command. Barely two months in the saddle, Dr Olomu has achieved a feat of generating a total revenue of N17.1 billion, approximating N18 billion in a single day.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, the Apapa Area 1 Command under Dr. Olomu leadership generated the whopping amount into the Federation Account, making it the highest revenue generation by a command of the NCS in a single day, as well as the highest daily revenue generation recorded in the history of Apapa Area 1 Customs Command since it was established.
Comptroller Olomu said that the level of automation in the Premier Port has improved to up to 80 percent even as he applauded the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for the facilitation of the automation.
He also said the Command has blocked all areas of revenue leakages since he became the CAC. According to Dr. Olomu the introduction of the Advanced Ruling System in the clearing processes by the Adeniyi-led Customs management has brought about reduction in friction and delays associated with clearing cargoes out of the port.
The CAC said one major challenge facing the Command’s revenue generation explosion is the drop in cargo throughput due to the economic challenges in the country.
Comptroller Olomu said further that the Command worked hard to attain the revenue feat in order to use it to commemorate the one year in office of the CGC, Adeniyi which the NCS has been celebrating since this week.
Comptroller Olomu: “The Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a landmark daily collection of N17,903,312,598 on June 14, 2024 being the highest since its inception.
“This feat is the beginning of many revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti -smuggling exploits to be achieved in the course of discharging our statutory responsibilities.
“I assumed office as Area Controller of the nation’s Premier Port Command a month ago, and I want to assure port users and our esteemed stakeholders that officers and men of the Command under my watch are ready to sustain and surpass our given mandate.
“Consequently, this unprecedented revenue collection is a way of celebrating the one year in office of Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, whose inspiring and motivating leadership has contributed greatly to this achievement “.
