REVISITING THE SPECTACULAR PALLIATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF COWA PRESIDENT, MRS. ADENIYI

Mrs. Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi, wife of the Comptroller-General of Customs and National President of the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), led members of her association to a successful distribution of essential commodities to women with the aim to alleviate the challenges faced by her members in Karu Customs Barracks, Abuja, on Tuesday, 12 March 2024. Addressing the officers' wives with

warmth and determination shortly after arriving at the venue, President Kikelomo implored them to embrace unity by becoming registered members of COWA. She emphasized her commitment to enlist every officer's wife, irrespective of rank or formation, in the Association's database, stating that “every officer's wife has a rightful place within the COWA family.” She went further to emphasize that distributing food items, which include noodles, bags of rice, spaghetti, and cooking oil, was part of COWA's plans to ease life for members of the association nationwide. Mrs. Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi joined the executive members of the association to launch the distribution exercise, piloted with leaders of

different barracks as she said, “this is not the first time COWA is conducting this initiative for distributing food items to the members and non-members of the Association, and we decided to distribute these items considering the season of Ramadan. "Everything we are doing now is for you. Please register so we can make provision for all of you. This will help us keep proper data of everyone and we will continue doing this subsequently to alleviate the situation." Speaking further, the National President urged members of the association to extend the gesture to other members of the Association because one of the teachings of COWA is spreading love amongst one another. According to her, the gesture is currently taking place at different Customs formations across the federation, as leaders of different COWA branches are doing the same. The food items which was considered to come at the appropriate time was recieved with joy. the pictures sent to this media shows some beneficiaries sharing their joy over the palliative they received, saying it came when needed, especially with the situation of things in Nigeria. The initiative not only provides immediate relief but also serves as a testament to COWA’s unwavering commitment to supporting its members during times of need. It is worth noting that during the grand launching of the Association on February 15, 2024, COWA National President, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, had pledged to empower over 1,200 women to achieve self-reliance, further demonstrating the association’s dedication to uplifting its members and promoting their well-being.

OBORO HISTORY DEBUTS

The predictive author of our time, Pastor Chikezie Okechukwu Iroegbu (Turner), the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Baggage Maritime Magazine is on it again. The versatile author decided to make public a book on the history of the ancient Kingdom of Oboro. The book which is a careful research work that spanned over 43 years of critical collation, analysis and what could be regarded as a surgical operation touched on many serious areas. It is a product of spiritual and physical consultations. A review on some of the past predictive works by the author are the prediction of Victor Okezie

Ikpeazu to become Abia state governor when he was relatively unknown and several months before his nomination. The present victory of Senator Austin Akobundu and the journey to the red chambers

are some the superlative predictions that earned the author some respect in the pen pushing profession not to talk of that of Emi lokan. Oboro: the land of our forefathers evolved to correct many mis-representations on many stories which were becoming a tradition. Things cannot continue this way for the sake of our future generation. The work may not be an excellent representation of the history of our people but it gives us the ample opportunity to start correcting these misrepresentation. The

next edition therefore would definitely be better if not the best. Typographic errors are considered as faults from registratering and reregistration of fonts from one system to the other. This affected the work but to the glory of God it finally came out readable. Come tomorrow, Friday, March 29, 2024, we beckon on you the invited guests to accept us with whatever is provided at this ocassion.# THE TIME AGAIN IS 12NOON TO 2:30PM# AKARAKA OF VISION AFRICA WILL BE THERE# PRINCE K U NKUME WOULD BE ON THE ELDERS CORNER# PRINCE UGOCHUKWU EZERIBE WILL DO THE REVIEW# CHIEF OKECHUKWU OHAMBELE WILL DECLARE THE LAUNCH# PASTOR IRONCHO AND TONY ICHEKU WILL ANCHOR# PASTOR THEOPHILUS TORTY IS IN CHARGE. God bless you all

NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE HUNGER ERADICATION TURNS BLOODY, WHAT NEXT?

By Okey IROEGBU 

The Nigeria Customs Service in her widow's mite as a bid to eradicate hunger and food insecurity in the nation decided to flag-off the rice disbursement program in Lagos on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at the zone A, Zonal office, Harvey road, Yaba, Lagos. This programme was in alignment with President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s plans to tackle the pressing issue by ensuring the availability of essential food items to Nigerians. Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, speaking at the flag-off of the rice

disbursement program in Lagos emphasized that the distribution of rice would be targeted at areas of customs operations, ensuring direct access to beneficiaries. He stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in the distribution process, urging Nigerians participating in the exercise to refrain from selling the rice in markets or hoarding it for purposes other than domestic consumption. He warned against reselling or hoarding the food items which he said would attract arrest and prosecution of defaulters.

He urged Nigerians to report cases of misuse or resale of items to appropriate authorities. He added that the seized rice has been re-bagged and certified for human consumption. The beautifully conceived plan to assist the needy was earlier demonstrated by the Customs National PRO CSC Abdullahi Maiwada before the members of the media on how the disbursement will look like. He emphasized that the major requirement for one to be qualified to receive the 25kg at paltry N10,000 is National Identification Number (NIN). The CGC in an interactive session confirmed that the NIN is just to keep records and prevent double standard by the public. It was quite

unfortunate that this kind gesture turned out bloody at the first day of its operation. This was initially seen as a result of poor crowd management and control, where no fewer than seven people reportedly died in a stampede during the sales of the rice at Customs Zonal Office at Harvey Road, Yaba, Lagos. An unconfirmed source attributed it to “impatience with laid-down procedures." This ugly situation made the Nigeria Customs Service to suspend the exercise indefinitely. Following all the lay down procedure to attain a hitch free programme the statement of the National PRO in the press release suspending the disbursement clearly exonerated the NCS.

"The exercise was conducted following meticulous planning to address all potential risks that may emerge during the exercise. As part of our process and control measures, we had Nigeria Police and military personnel to ensure crowd control. We also fully equipped a medical team on ground in anticipation of potential risks during an exercise of that magnitude. Their presence was part of our proactive approach to ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants," CSC Maiwada stated. The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) says the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is not to blame for the stampede that

occurred during the sale of subsidized rice in Lagos. The NCSCN made its position known in a communique it issued recently at the end of its 1st Quarter of 2024 deliberations, to discuss the state of the nation in Abuja. "It is saddening that this good intended gesture of government witnessed unexpected casualties,” the council stated in the communique signed by Blessing Akinlosotu, its Executive Director. Finally the Service expressed their sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. "The Nigeria Customs Service extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the unfortunate incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families during this challenging time, and we assure them of our unwavering support," the statement reads.

NIGERIA CUSTOMS ON THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH RECENT E-AUCTION

By Okey IROEGBU 

There is no doubt that the government warehouses in the Nigeria Customs Service commands all over the nation are overcrowded with seizures and overtime cargoes. It is on this note that stakeholders are applauding the service over her moves to not only decongesting these warehouses but also selling many of the vehicles to the public for useful purposes instead of rotting away. Since the relaunch of the e-auction portal of the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday, January 16, 2023, the platform has recorded impressive results of many bids which are increasing on daily basis on a new platform. The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, in a press release said the new platform, accessible at https://auction.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng According to Maiwada, the Nigeria Customs Service emphasizes that successful bidders should promptly download their winning certificates through the provided link in the confirmation email. “Since its relaunch, the platform has recorded impressive results, including: 1137 number of bids; 1099 registered applicants; 652 successfully paid administration fee; 100 vehicles uploaded on the window; 86 vehicles bided and won. “It is also pertinent to note that the auctions are periodic and open every

Tuesday from 12 noon to 6 pm, providing the public with regular opportunities to select and bid for desired items. “For comprehensive details and guidelines on the e-auction process, interested participants are encouraged to visit the NCS website at www.customs.gov.ng “While we acknowledge occasional glitches reported by participants, potentially attributed to high traffic, our dedicated technical team is actively addressing the situation. We assure the public that initial issues will be swiftly resolved to ensure a seamless experience in all subsequent exercises. “The

NCS remains committed to transparency, accessibility, and public engagement through its revamped e-auction platform, fostering a fair and efficient process for the disposal of seized and overtime goods," Maiwada stated.

NIGERIA CUSTOMS ON THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH RECENT E-AUCTION

There is no doubt that the government warehouses in the Nigeria Customs Service commands all over the nation are overcrowded with seizures and overtime cargoes. It is on this note that stakeholders are applauding the service over her moves to not only decongesting these warehouses but also selling many of the vehicles to the public for useful purposes instead of rotting away. Since the relaunch of the e-auction portal of the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday, January 16, 2023, the platform has recorded impressive results of many bids which are increasing on daily basis on a new platform. The National Public Relations Officer of the Service, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, in a press release said the new platform, accessible at https://auction.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng, is an upgraded version of the previous portal designed to provide Nigerians with an equal opportunity to participate. According to Maiwada, the Nigeria Customs Service emphasizes that successful bidders should promptly download their winning certificates through the provided link in the confirmation email. “Since its

relaunch, the platform has recorded impressive results, including: 1137 number of bids; 1099 registered applicants; 652 successfully paid administration fee; 100 vehicles uploaded on the window; 86 vehicles bided and won. “It is also pertinent to note that the auctions are periodic and open every Tuesday from 12 noon to 6 pm, providing the public with regular opportunities to select and bid for desired items. “For comprehensive details and guidelines on the e-auction process, interested participants are encouraged to visit the NCS website at www.customs.gov.ng. Any concerns or complaints can be directed to the NCS Helpdesk at 07037891156, operational from Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. “While we acknowledge occasional glitches reported by participants, potentially attributed to high traffic, our dedicated technical team is actively addressing the situation. We assure the public that initial issues will be swiftly resolved to ensure a seamless experience in all subsequent exercises. “The NCS remains committed to transparency, accessibility, and public engagement through its revamped e-auction platform, fostering a fair and efficient process for the disposal of seized and overtime goods," Maiwada stated.

THE EMERGING TIGERS PUTTING PANACHE IN THEIR JOBS AT THE CUSTOMS PR UNITS

The practice of Public Relations which became prevalent in the UK by Basil Clark for the establishment of editorial services in 1924 has spread to other facets of daily activities. They are today used for consumer and lifestyle which helps in gaining publicity for a particular product or service. It is commonly also used in engaging government departments to influence public policy or perception. The other very important area it has played wonderful role is in crisis communication which portrays it as an image maker. Public relations as we can concisely extract literally is the practice of managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization and the public. The aim is to persuade the public and stakeholders to maintain a certain point of view about an individual or organization as the case may be. Common activities include speaking at conferences, working with the press and so on. Public relations practice generally is highly unregulated but many of the professionals voluntarily adhere to the code of conducts of one or more professional bodies to avoid exposure for ethical violations. One of the organizations in Nigeria that has in recent time done much to improve on her public relations department is the Nigeria customs service. The training and the induction into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in 2014 and the most recent has done great work on the image of the paramilitary outfit, the Nigeria Customs Service. The service in itself is not relenting in her effort to update the

Public Relations Officers with external and internal training. An example is the recent gathering of Nigeria Customs Public Relations Officers at the Customs Training College, Ikeja Lagos for a retreat to improve on their use of Digital media for Public Communication. The Training Retreat was organized by the service for its spokespersons and public communicators in collaboration with Yushau A. Shuaib of PRNigeria. The three-day training and retreat had this as its theme, “Up scaling PR Tools and Strategies for Optimum Performance” for its public relations officers across the nation.  The event was part of a series of ongoing intellectual empowerment programmes aimed at strengthening the capacity of the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. In line with the tradition and mission of this magazine, we recognize emerging Tigers in their various departments in relations to their exploits. In the Public Relations departments of various commands of the Nigeria Customs Service where the media has exclusive interactions with these officers, these officers are remarkably outstanding in their recent activities and approach to the critical stakeholders. This view may not be the same with everybody depending on which perspective they are taking their stand. The present National Customs Public Relations Officer, CSC Maiwada Abdullahi no doubt has proved that he is equal to the task of leading the pack of these other brilliant commands' public Relations Officers. The youthful, chubby and workaholic officer is working assiduously to meet up the demands of a former celebrated NPRO, the present Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR. In line with paramilitary ideologies, CSC Maiwada should be elevated to march the present position he occupies as an Assistant Comptroller if not for any reason, at least for his hard work, diligence and other merits. Others who are doing exceedingly marvelous are CSC Usman of Apapa. This jovial and interactive public relations guru fortunately went through the same Ogun 1 Command that looks like a midwife to many of these PROs. Taking of Ogun 1 command reminds us of CSC Oloyode. At PTML is another Assistant Comptroller in the making, CSC Yakubu who is seriously keeping the pace over there. We will also give it to CSC Jerry Attah who cut his teeth in dealing with humans at FOU, Zone 'A' Ikeja but now at FOU, Zone 'C' Owerri. SC Duniya is no doubt doing excellently beautiful in managing awareness services at the FOU, Zone 'A' which invariably looks like the Western zonal headquarters with our sister, Ann. At the Seme border we cannot forget SC Husseini. The reception and attention one gets from CSC Lomba Benjamin and SC Tangwan of Onne and Eastern Marine commands respectively after travelling a long distance to visit the commands is a pass mark.

ACTING DCG BELLO JIBO HOHOURED

The atmosphere at the Nigerian/French Language Village, Badagry Lagos wore a beautiful embiem on Saturday, March 9, 2024. This venue is known to host very high profile events during the weekends.

Apart from social events, the playground plays host to various sporting activities, among which is the training ground for All Stars Football Club. The club is a congregation of veteran who played football in their prime and uses the platform to exercise. Badagry Allstars parade very important

dignitaries among them are civil servants from different walks of life. Popular among them are Customs Officers, the soldiers, Navy and others.

The Customs Agents who form the critical stakeholders are also found among the movers of this great club. It was therefore not a wonder when the compound of this citadel of learning was littered with various range of automobiles belonging to

visitors to the school to pay honour to whom honour is due. Ag DCG Mohammed Bello is a known name among those who brought the club to limelight. It could be noted that Ag DCG Jibo joined the club as a Deputy Comptroller while serving as DC Revenue at Seme border Customs command. The sportsman in him could not resist the temptation of doing what he knows how to do best. It could be realized that he was formally the games captain at the Federal Government College Ijanikin during his Secondary School days. On his elevation to the position of a substantial controller and redeployed to Seme border, he quickly realized that venturing into football for the Badagry youth would go a long way to reducing smuggling and other social vices among the youths in this clime. The idea paid off as he registered Badagry United Football Club which he presented to Akran of Badagry as patron of the club. The club has today gone through two Customs Area Controllers at Seme and the story has always been a successful one as these officers see the club as an albatross to achieving success in their anti-smuggling war. It was because of this and many other of his involvement that men, women and the youths responded to the call to celebrate this day. The event which started with a novelty march saw

personalities like Comptroller Timi Bomodi displaying some dexterities in the football field. At the event proper which also had veteran players like Friday Ekpo was an afternoon of eulogies.

NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE MOVES TO CONTROL ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING IN WILDLIFE

DC SHUAIBU - COORDINATOR  JBPT, SECTOR TWO, LAGOS 

Penultimate week before the recent move to bring an end to the illegal Trafficking in wildlife, DC Shuaibu, the Coordinator of Joint Border Patrol Team JBPT Sector Two lectured the duo of Editor-in-chief of The Baggage Magazine and his Correspondent on the available jobs in forestery. He touched on the protection of wildlife in tandem with the provision of international treaties protecting many of the endangered species. When this issue therefore resurfaced as a strategic area that requires serious training for Customs officers, the writer decided to dedicate this to DC Shuaibu who once also lectured us on warehousing and the importance in Customs operations just like balancing an accounts ledger in the bank. The report reaching this media has it that in its resolve to end illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is perfecting arrangements to extend capacity building in this area to all officers and men of the service. This is as a team of

PARROTS SEIZED AT SEME BORDER

international partners, including the United States promised assistance, particularly in training expertise and technology to boost the facilities on ground at the Customs Training College, Ikeja. Leading the partners in an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities in the Customs Training College (CTC), on Monday, the Commandant, Compt. Haniel Hadison, told the visitors that the facility was ready to receive their support. "We have officers willing to learn, and we the management of the college are also ready to give every support to achieve the set objectives. "He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, and the customs' management team for their continued support to the Special Wildlife Office," Mr. Hadison said. Fielding questions after the tour, he said the NCS, especially the wildlife office is also a part of the United Nations World Wildlife Day (WWD) celebration, and "that is why the college, being where the wildlife office of the Nigeria Customs is domiciled, is hosting our international partners and their Donors" "We are using this opportunity also to showcase how far we have journeyed in the fight against illegal trafficking in wildlife. "So far so good, it has been an excellent outing, and there is much for the Nigeria Customs, particularly the wildlife Office to achieve from our international partners. "They (partners) are bringing in their

ANOTHER WILDLIFE (HAWK) ALSO SEIZED AT SEME BORDER

expertise, technocrats, and their level of knowledge for us to tap from. Above all, it is going to be an added value, particularly as it relates to the CGC's clarion call for capacity building. "Recently, he particularly laid much emphasis on collaboration. Nigeria Customs cannot attain set objectives without collaborating with relevant organisations, and that is what we are experiencing at the moment." Speaking on the institution's areas of need for the capacity building, Hadison stated: "Now that everything is centred around technology, we would need them (international partners) to bring in their capabilities and competencies in the use of technology in the fight against illegal activities. "Particularly, there is need to train our officers and men in the use of drones and other tech apparatus at the borders, airports and seaports, and even within the system, as well as the ungoverned spaces. The use of technology will help the Nigeria Customs to carry out its functions, particularly as it regards enforcement." Meanwhile, he warned perpetrators of illegal wildlife trade and trafficking that the agency remains opposed to such crimes. "Everyday, our officers make arrests, and a lot of investigations and prosecutions are ongoing. They should desist from these illegal activities. There is no room for them," he stated. On her part, the officer in charge of the NCS Special Wildlife Unit, Abimbola Isafiade, commended the visit of the collaborators, stating that it means "the agency is improving as the world is improving, and it means more successes for the future." With their partnership, "we are going to improve on the trainings we have been having. Before now we've trained, may be a fraction, now we want to embark on  training the whole of the Nigeria Customs, and I know that is very possible with the kind of partners that we have got now. "In addition to the Wildlife Justice Commission,Focused Conservation,Wildlife Conservation Society and many others, we are now partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. We had a meeting last month, where they pledged their support, and here they have come to assess the environment to see what facilities we have, to know where to step in, in terms of capacity building. "So, the capacity building will now go far and wide; we want to train practically all  officers and men of Nigeria Customs Service and this is what this exercise has come to establish - a needs assessment. "Then, the next is to begin the training for all officers on understanding what it takes to combat illegal wildlife trade and trafficking." According to her, the training is expected to begin in the next couple of months, with the facilities and trainers/expert  xxeady on ground. "We just need a few things, like the commandant has mentioned - power (for the classrooms), smart screens, which they have promised to give, and other resources to support what we have on ground. "The Nigeria Customs Service already has the facilities, it is just about bringing them to standard." For training accessibility, and for safety purposes, a place is being constructed for the intercepted wildlife items in the premises of the college following a "strategic order," the report concludes.