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Wale Bashir Adeniyi: One year of impactful leadership as Customs Field Marshal
With his towering stature, Wale Bashir Adeniyi, the 14th indigenous Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs service, bestrides the landscape of the service with maximum impact in the last one year of stewardship.In a blistering performance which has left many in admiration and awe, Adeniyi has revolutionized the administration and operations of the NCS in the last one year in office.The new Customs Sheriff clocks one year in office today, July 19th, 2024.
His appointment as the Comptroller General of Customs on 19th, June, 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, marked a turning point in the annal of the agency.
The last eight years in the Nigeria Customs Service have been characterised by undulating performance.
It has been a mixed bag of fortunes and misfortunes, rise and fall and tragicomedy in the performance of the service.
During those years, the rating of the service plummeted in the eye of the public and the stakeholders who were detached from the cold attitude of the top hierarchy of the Customs were not amused.
Most of the policies and actions of the service, most of which were devoid of human face, brought the agency into direct conflict with the public and the stakeholders due to the leadership style of the man who directed the affairs of the service for those years.
During those years, the officers were muffled and the stakeholders were ruffled.
Then came Adewale Adeniyi, the new Sheriff in Town.
Adeniyi ascended the high stool of Customs as the Customs Comptroller General at a time when the morale of officers was at the lowest ebb.
However, his coming, within a year in office, has brought hope, joy and renewed enthusiasm among the officers while it has sparked off a newfound love among the stakeholders who are elated over the crowning of the home-grown officer.
The fortune of the service which dipped during the last eight years and its public rating which plummeted within that period due to the rein of a non-customs officer as the head, have now suddenly sprang to life with the coming of the new Sheriff.
In June 2023, the appointment of Adeniyi as the new CGC by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marked a turning point in the affairs of the Customs.
It signalled a rebirth of the service which has been grappling with unfavourable public opinion.
As expected, the appointment of the new Sheriff sparked a spontaneous jubilation and exhilaration among the staff of the service and the stakeholders.
This was expected given the professional acumen of the new CGC and his impressive track record in a service he had held sway for the past 30 years.
Stakeholders, especially the confraternity of the freight forwarders, are unanimous in their assessment of the one year in office of Adeniyi.
Babatunde Mukaila Abdulazeez, the former National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) couldn’t hide his feelings over the inspiring leadership of Adeniyi.
“It is a personal roller coaster feeling for me. We have never had it so good.”, he declared when he was asked to assess the performance of Adeniyi in his first year in the saddle as the CGC.
Ada Ozomena Akpunonu, another frontline freight forwarder and a top-notch member of the ANLCA, was no less impressed by the performance of Adeniyi as the CGC.
“He could eventually emerge as the best CGC customs ever had” she declared.
Ibrahim Tanko, the Vice President, the Western Zone of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) who is also the National Coordinator of the 100 compliance team of the association, also acknowledged the uncommon professional ingenuity of the new CGC.
“He has done well so far”, he stated tersely.
Dr Boniface Aniebonam, the legendary founder of NAGAFF was no less enamoured by the sparkling leadership qualities of Adeniyi as displayed within his first year in office.
“He is a communication strategist” he declared as a matter of fact.
Adeniyi, as a thoroughbred professional in customs administration and human relations, immediately brought remarkable changes from the stiff and top-of-horse leadership approach of the last eight years.
As an astute public relations expert, Adeniyi immediately went on an extensive engagement with all his officers and critical stakeholders.
He first engaged the powers that be with his direct engagement of Mr President, Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwolu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
He also paid homage to the traditional rulers, including the Oni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
He thereafter engaged the officers, one-on-one at the Headquarters, interacting with them in their various offices under the air of camaraderie, displaying a rare leadership style that was alien in the last years in the service.
He then followed this up with a tour of the commands where he met with the officers before he headed to the border communities where he made a lot of efforts to create an atmosphere of mutual trust, support and harmonious relationship with the host communities and the customs, a vital ingredient that have long been lost to the last eight years of deep-seated suspicion and acrimony that were engendered by the unfriendly posture of the last regime.
Not done, the new CGC also engaged the members of the maritime media, his constituency during his almost two-decade-long impressive rein as the super public relations officer of the service.
Adeniyi was not unmindful of his counterpart across the border in the Benin Republic to whom he paid homage in a bid to foster a harmonious working relationship that would promote trade and discourage smuggling between the two West African neighbours.
The lawmakers were also not left out in his extensive and strategic engagement as he hosted the members of the Senate Committee on Customs.
In addition, members of various government organizations and private bodies tasted the irresistible lure of Wale’s hospitality.
He didn’t leave the freight forwarders out of his public engagement as he made direct contact with them in their areas of operations.
Adeniyi also reinvigorated the Corporate Social Responsibility(CRS) of the service by visiting a motherless baby home in Ibadan where he promised to reactivate the milk of human kindness in the Customs under his leadership.
There was hardly any segment of society that Adeniyi did not court its cooperation and support to have an inclusive administration that is anchored on the goodwill of the people.
Adeniyi also thrust the NCS to the consciousness of the global community with his visit to China recently where he sold the boulstered the international image of the agency.
That is the hallmark of leadership excellence.
Adeniyi, as a versatile public relations expert, achieved a dual purpose with this extensive and strategic engagement.
First, he used it to reunite the customs with the critical stakeholders who had hitherto felt alienated by the detached managerial style of the last administration in customs.
Secondly, it used the engagement to launch the customs into a new path of operational rebirth where the new management he leads will carry out its onerous task with full cooperation and collaboration of critical stakeholders.
Similarly, the disbandment of the controversial CGC strike force and streamlining of the mushroom customs checkpoints has also endeared the new Sheriff to the stakeholders, especially the freight forwarders, who had had cause to complain in the past about the excesses of those special forces.
According to Babatunde Mukaila Abdulazeez “It is a personal roller coaster feeling for me. We had never had it so good
“Wale has shown that he has the capacity and what it takes to take Nigeria Customs to the next level.
“He has shown that Nigeria can be at par with the rest of the advanced world in the deployment of trade tools.
“Within his first year in office, he has shown uncommon courage, commitment and uncanny knowledge of customs operations and processes that are meant to facilitate trade.
“For instance, he introduced what is called the Advance Ruling which holds Customs officers accountable for whatever their position is on pre-importation requests.
“I can tell you that it takes courage to do that as no officer would want to be held responsible for his action.
“But Adeniyi has done that. He was the first CG to bell the cat on this novel idea. This shows his courage and passion to transform customs.
“Also, he introduced another novel idea by partnering with the Japanese government to establish a laboratory for Nigeria Customs.
“The issue of argument on chemical imports will be a thing of the past. This will not only help the customs but the NAFDAC as well.
“Adeniyi, in his first one year in office, has shown us that he knows what needs to be done and that he is a core professional customs officer.
“We can only pray for him to succeed. He has put on the table accountability and transparency, he declared
For Ada Ozomena Akpunonu, Wale is a professional customs officer and “we all know his rich antecedents”
“Unfortunately, he came at a time when Nigeria’s economy is in comatose. This will make his task a bit difficult.
“For instance, the exchange rate is too high and the Customs duties are equally high which have both combined to make goods clearance at the port very exorbitant.
“Wale is a team player. He carries everyone along.
“Through the deployment of his Area Controllers, he has shown the depth of his managerial acumen because his men at the Area Commands are square pegs in square holes.
“By the time he spends four year in office, he will perform wonders. The atmosphere in the customs now is that of conviviality and sanity.
“If not for the instability of the naira and the bastardized economy, Wale could emerge as the best CGC ever.
Ibrahim Tanko believed Wale is doing well as the CGC.
“He has done well in terms of reducing the bottleneck in clearance procedures by reducing the number of units.
“For instance, he has disbanded the notorious CG strike force as well as border drills.
“He is also working hard to restore the core values of the Federal Operations Units ( FOUs) of the service by enhancing their professionalism.
“He is also doing well in the area of checking the excesses of officers.
“He is also doing well in attending to pending cases such as seizures, detentions, dismissals and suspensions.
“However, I would like him to define and delineate the functions of Customs Police, FOU and Provosts.
”
Their functions and duties should be well-defined and clearly stated to avoid overlap and clash.
Boniface Aniebonam said Wale is a master communication strategist.
” I commend him on the disbandment of the CG strike force.”The interventionist squad had abused the customs process under previous customs administrations.
“We appreciate him for that. He should also take a very strong stance against avoidable trade alerts from different customs units.
“This does not facilitate trade. He should coordinate and hamonise the alert system and I know as a listening officer, he shall look into this disturbing issue.
“There are lot to still be done. However, his one year in office is well and good.
“He should, however, contact critical stakeholders and partner them by using established platforms such as ANLCA and NAGAFF to reach out to the trading public.
“His one year in office has been avoidably aggressive in revenue target and collection.”But the modern-day customs practice is not about revenue but trade facilitation.
”If you raise the compliance level of the trading public, this will lead to high revenue. He should de-emphasize revenue and emphasize trade facilitation which leads to high revenue” retorted Aniebonam.
But Wale’s one year in office has raised the compliance level of the trading public.
The deployment of one of the trading tools which is the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) is an eloquent testimony to that.
Adeniyi also showed his vast understanding of customs operations when he made trade facilitation the fulcrum of his administration.
All over the world, the Customs has duties to facilitate trade, collect revenue, detect and prevent smuggling, with none of the functions running counter against the others.
But over the years, especially in the last eight years, trade facilitation has been subjugated to revenue collection to the chagrin of stakeholders, but the decision of the new CAC not to injure trade facilitation in pursuit of revenue and smugglers is welcomed by the appreciative freight forwarders.
It is more gratifying to note that the new CGC has promised to break away from the past crude method of anti-smuggling tactics which had led to the avoidable death of officers and innocent people.
He hoped to achieve this by relying more on the deployment of technology which will maximise performance and minimise casualties.
The triumph of brain over brawn.
As the 14th indigenous Comptroller-General of Customs and 31st since its establishment in 1891, Wale Adeniyi, a brilliant public relations expert who is well grounded in Customs operations, is fast becoming a new face of the customs, a beckon of hope for the officers and stakeholders who have been yarning for a change from the last eight years of mutual suspicion and acrimony between the customs and its publics.
Stakeholders have therefore hailed the Nigerian Customs Service Act, especially Section 14(1)(a) of the Act, which states that “The President shall appoint a career officer from the Service, not below the rank of Assistant-Comptroller General (who shall be responsible for the overall management of the service) and be accountable for all revenue collections and all expenditures made under this Act”.
It was this new Act that enabled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discover and unleash the talents and professional acumen of Wale Adeniyi on the customs for maximum impact.
Until his appointment, Adeniyi was in charge of Strategic Research and Policy at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.
A professional who is conscious of the need to build a solid image for the agency, Adeniyi once served as customs spokesman for almost two decades until January 2017 when he was redeployed to the Apapa Area Command as a Deputy Comptroller.
He was promoted to the rank of Comptroller in 2017 and appointed Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja.In 2019, he was redeployed to serve as the Controller of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, Lagos where he made the famous seizure of $8.07m cash.
He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller General in February 2020 shortly after he supervised the seizure of $8.07 million cash being illegally taken out of Nigeria through the E-Wing of the international airport tarmac.
He was subsequently posted to head the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja as Commandant.
In recognition of his service, former President Muhammadu Buhari, on October 11, 2022, conferred the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) on Adeniyi.
Stakeholders are unanimous in their conviction that the Nigeria Customs Service will witness a galloping development, turn around of fortunes and professional excellence under the stewardship of Adeniyi.
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MARAN convenes public lecture on dismantling trade barriers under AfCFTA
Funso OLOJO
The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) has concluded plans to rally industry stakeholders to a public lecture to brainstorm on how to dismantle perceived trade barriers under the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA).
The association makes this known as it is set to host its second Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL), scheduled to take place on November 21, 2024, in Lagos.
This year’s lecture, themed “AfCFTA: Dismantling Trade Barriers and Navigating Regional Trade”, will address the critical role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in boosting regional trade, overcoming barriers, and unlocking new economic opportunities across the African continent.
The MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) is a flagship event designed to foster dialogue, share insights, and provide a platform for key stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime and trade sectors.
The conference will gather industry experts, government officials, trade professionals, and maritime stakeholders to explore the evolving challenges and opportunities within the context of AfCFTA’s implementation.
Oluyinka Onigbinde, the Chairman of this year’s MAMAL, highlighted the importance of the topic, stating:
“As Africa moves towards the full implementation of the AfCFTA, there is an urgent need to address the persistent trade barriers hindering the region’s economic integration.
This lecture aims to provide deep insights into these barriers and explore actionable solutions that will not only strengthen intra-African trade but also position Nigeria as a major hub in this evolving landscape.”
The lecture promises to feature a line-up of renowned speakers from the maritime, trade, and economic sectors, who will offer their expertise on topics such as the impact of AfCFTA on regional trade routes, port infrastructure development, regulatory harmonization, and the future of shipping in Africa.
MARAN invites all maritime and trade stakeholders, professionals, and the public to participate in this pivotal discussion. More details on the speakers, venue, and registration will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) is the leading professional body for maritime journalists in Nigeria, committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and the growth of Nigeria’s maritime sector through timely, in-depth, and insightful reportage.
MARAN’s Annual Maritime Lecture serves as a knowledge-sharing platform aimed at addressing critical issues in the maritime and trade sectors in Africa.
Headlines
”Be thorough, professional in your reportage to avoid prosecution under cybercrime act”
— Police, mass communications scholar caution journalists
Funso OLOJO
A media expert and officers of Nigeria police have admonished Nigeria journalists on the need to be professional and thorough in their news reporting in a bid not to fall victim to the booby traps embedded in the Cybercrime Prohibition, Prevention and Enforcement Act of 2015.
Dr Yinka Adagun, the Mass communications lecturer at the Lagos State Polytechnic, and SP Abubakar Smart, the Acting Assistant Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, offered their perspectives at a one-day Workshop on Cybercrime organized for journalists by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) on Thursday, October 10th, 2024, in Lagos.
According to Smart, the pen can be sharper than the knife; therefore, journalists should ensure that whatever they publish online will not get them in trouble.
“What strikes the mind of people when we talk of cybercrime is internet fraud but it is more than that.
“Today, it has become a global threat due to the way we use digital technology, the nature of our work and the way we interact online.
“Journalists need to be well-informed about the Cybercrime Act of 2015, as amended, to be more educated about cybercrime so as not to fall victim,” he said.
Smart described cybercrime as any criminal activities done on the cyberspace on any social media platform.
He listed them to include bullying, stalking, fraud, identity theft and phishing.
“The punishment for cybercrime can be up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to millions of Naira, and asset forfeiture.
“We should be aware of regulatory agencies responsible for ensuring the cyberspace is free.
“Some are National Cybercrime Commission, Central Bank of Nigeria, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” he said.
Adagun urged journalists not to be desperate to be superstars.
He said that the zeal of journalists to break news and write exclusive stories could be an avenue to fall victim to cyberbullying act if not well handled.
The Mass communications scholar said that some media professionals had a misconception that their daily activities, particularly intellectual outputs, were removed from Internet governance.
“The internet has become a global tool for everything including a channel for freedom of expression but sadly, the freedom that the internet depicts is now being attacked and users intimidated.
“We all need to safeguard our access and activities on the electronic highway,” he said.
He said that cybercrime could be avoided, reduced or eliminated through a combination of individual awareness, organizational measures and technological solutions.
“Some strategies are: to educate ourselves on cybercrime, use strong passwords, be cautious with links and attachments, keep software up-to-date, and implement cyber security policies,” he said.
However, participants asked those institutions of government saddled with the enforcement of the Cybercrime Act to engage in more public education and sensitization programmes on the Act to create public awareness as a lot of media practitioners are ignorant of the Act and its provisions.
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Tantita splashes N2.5m on young scholars to encourage excellence in public speaking in Delta state
The Eyewitness Reporter
In its continuous effort to promote learning in schools and as part of its Corporate Social responsibility (CSR), Tantita Security Services Ltd moved a notch higher on Saturday, October 5th, 2024 by splashing a total sum of N2.5M on students who excelled in the Delta State Inter-School Public Speaking Competition.
The programme is a collaborative effort spearheaded by Tantita and the Godfrey PondiBook Club.
At the end of the close-knit competition, Dom Domingos College, Warri, took the crown by winning the coveted cash prize of N1M.
Edjeba Secondary School secured the First Runner-Up position, receiving N800,000, while Ighogbadu Secondary School finished third and was awarded N700,000.
The event, themed “The Impact of Technology in Combatting Crude Oil Theft and Pipeline Vandalism,” showcased the talent and eloquence of young speakers from various secondary schools across the state.
The competition featured two speakers from each of ten government-owned secondary schools, including Dom Domingos College, Edjeba Secondary School, Ighogbadu Secondary School, Ekpan Secondary School, Urhobo College, College of Commerce, Yonwuren College, Alegbo Secondary School, Dore Numa College, and Ugborikoko Secondary School.
Each participant delivered insightful presentations addressing the critical role of technology in tackling issues related to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Notably, the prize structure was initially set at N500,000 for the winner, N300,000 for the first runner-up, and N200,000 for the second runner-up.
However, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Executive Director of Operations and Technical Services at Tantita Security Services promptly revised the amounts to N1,000,000, N800,000, and N700,000, respectively, to encourage and reward the students’ outstanding performances.
Speaking at the event, Captain Enisuoh, expressed his admiration for the initiative, stating, “First, I must commend those who came up with this very laudable idea.
” From all your performances, we can only say it will get better next time. It will get bigger next time; the prize money will also increase, and we will also introduce individual scholarships that will follow with assistance to the schools “
He emphasized the relevance of the competition’s theme, saying, “It was not an easy topic, and I think only those from this area would have won if it was a national event.
” We sleep and wake up with this pollution from crude oil; we know it is not easy to survive in this region.
” Most of our land has been affected by the illegality of this problem. We are very happy to see these effects at a young age, as it shows there is hope for solutions.”
Captain Enisuoh also reflected on the importance of the student’s contributions, noting, “You mentioned so many things, and though we are the ones in the forefront of fighting this scourge, we learned a lot from you today.
” We wish you had briefed us before we started the contract, but we are taking everything on board.
“You have given us reasons to improve, and we appreciate your participation.
“One day, one of you will be a governor, another a deputy governor, and possibly even a president.
“It’s crucial to understand the problems of your country before becoming a leader. “
Teachers from participating schools expressed their appreciation for Tantita’s initiative, recognizing the event as a valuable platform that not only highlights students’ skills but also reflects the hard work of educators and parents.
The event attracted other notable guests including management and staff of Tantita Security Services.
The competition not only highlighted the importance of public speaking skills among students but also emphasized the need for innovative solutions to combat oil theft and vandalism in the region.
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