By ZAKAA LAZARUS, Abuja
The Apapa Port Command of Nigeria Customs Service and it’s Area Controller has been honoured with three awards at Comptroller General of Customs Award for Revenue Collection and an Award of Excellence for its outstanding feats at the CGC Award Night held on Friday November 29, 2024 in Abuja.
Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the Customs Area Controller who was celebrated by colleagues,friends and stakeholders stood out as the star of the night.
He emerged “Best Controller of the Year” for his exceptional leadership and improving on the command’s capacity to deliver on its mandates at Nigeria’s premier port of Apapa
The three awards which were presented to the command on Friday, November 29, 2024 at a ceremony hosted by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR recognised the command for it’s various groundbreaking achievements in the areas of revenue collection, anti smuggling and trade facilitation.
For the first time in the history of the command, it generated N2tr as revenue into government coffers as at November 20, 2024. Under the leadership of Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the command raised the bar of preventing revenue leakages and achieving maximum collection, even in the face of low trade volume
With hands on daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly evaluation of its activities, the command has been attune to getting all officers to resume early, process all entries timely, carry out diligent examination and shun compromise in the discharge of their duties
Shortly after receiving the awards in Abuja, Comptroller Olomu while holding the plaques and certificates dedicated the honour to all officers and men of the command.
The Area Controller described the achievements as result of teamwork, dedication, focus and cooperation. He said no leader can excel without supportive lieutenants and called for continuous support from all stakeholders as we enter the last month of the year 2024.
While thanking the CGC for the honour bestowed on the command, Comptroller Olomu said as the number one Customs Officer in Nigeria, CGC Adeniyi has been a source of inspiration and good example for all officers to emulate.
He further described the award as a motivation for selflessness, call for increased commitment and a challenge to sustain and improve on the tempo of work at the command which will cascade to all bonded terminals attached to it
The Controller also urged all port users to rededicate themselves to national service by being law abiding and reporting suspected unlawful acts in the port to the service and other security agencies.
Comptroller Olomu lauded import and export traders who have used Apapa Port within the period of his leadership and implored them to operate in full compliance with the guidelines for their trade. He specifically commented exporters who pioneered export activities under the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Olomu urged more Nigerian business men and women to take advantage of the ease of doing business initiative to use Apapa Port. He invited them to tap into the simplified procedures being emplaced by the CGC under an evolving modernisation regime to trade seamlessly.
The CAC admonished officers of the command not to see the awards of The best command of the year,The best command in revenue collection and the best Customs Area Controller as the end of hard work but a motivation and challenge to work harder
He reminded them that compliance saves money, saves time, build integrity for positive profiling and helps in recognition for upgrade to the authorised economic operator (AEO) status
In another development,
the Onne Command received the award for best in anti-smuggling by saving a lot of lives from destruction via the interception of arms, ammunition and drugs.
Speaking on the award the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede says *it was a team effort as he could not have done it alone if not for the role every officer and men in the Command played in enssuring public health and safety of lives*
He appreciates every officer and men of the Command for their contribution towards making the country safe.
