Commentaries
Comptroller Yusuf Malanta: The Revenue Marshall of Nigeria Customs
Eyewitness Reporter
The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service is unarguably the biggest revenue basket of the agency.
The command, as the flagship of the tax-collecting agency of the Federal Government, contributes the largest chunk of the annual revenue targets of the service, year in year out.
Its contributions to the revenue profile of the service are conservatively put at between 35 percent to 40 percent of the revenue earnings of the organization, each year.
It is for this reason the command has consistently become a cash cow which annually boosts the increasing revenue propensity of the service.
However, never in the history of the service had Apapa Command boosted the revenue collection of the agency than now.
Never in the history of the service than now had the Apapa command redefined the act of revenue collection taken to an unprecedented and dizzying height.
Never in the history of the service than now had the Command recorded a blistering form in revenue generation.
Never in the history of the service than now had the command combined the twin objectives of revenue generation and trade facilitation with admirable ease to achieve record-breaking feats.
In 2021, the command collected a whooping sum of N870.388 billion as revenue, a collection higher by 68 percent over the N518.0446 billion collected in 2020.
That was the year, 2021, when Comptroller Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim, the revenue Marshall, berthed at the Command as its Area Controller.
Yusuf, who was appointed and took over as the helmsman of the premier Customs Command, will be a year old in the saddle in February 2022.
But within 12 months, shy of a few days, which he has so far marshaled the affairs of the flagship command, Comptroller Yusuf has redefined the act of revenue collection.
With gusto, he has broken all the records in the books in terms of revenue mobilization and collection.
A monthly analysis of the revenue haul of the command in 2021 showed that he is a man who relishes aiming for the sky.
In February when he took over, he met a monthly revenue earning of N49.544 billion.
Ever since then through to December, the revenue Marshall has not looked back as he achieved a geometry increase in revenue collection.
In March, the command collected N55.645 billion and in April, it was N65.463billion.
May recorded N62.966billiion while the sum of N78.500million was collected in June.
July recorded the sum of N72.536billion and N87.881billion in August.
The sum of 82.147billion was collected in September and October yielded N86.022 billion.
The month of November witnessed an unprecedented monthly collection of a humongous sum of N89.766 billion which was a record revenue collection never witnessed in a single month in the entire Service.
In December, the sum of N85.516 billion was collected to round up the year.
In total, the command collected an eye-popping sum of N870,388,340,650.65 billion
This sum is 37.84 percent of the N2.3 trillion realised by the entire Service in 2021.
The revenue target of the service for 2022 has been fixed at the sum of N4.1 trillion.
Out of this, the Apapa port Command, expectedly, will contribute the largest chunk of the target.
Going by its propensity for recording a geometric increase in revenue generation, it is expected that the Apapa command will also take the lead in the quest of the Customs High command to meet the mega target of N4.1 trillion.
If the command could rake in N870.388 billion in 2021, which translates to 21.2 percent of N4.1 trillion of this year’s service target, it then presupposes that the command is expected to contribute nothing less than N1trillion to the year’s target.
This is based on the fact that N870.388 billion (2021 total revenue of Apapa) of N2.3 trillion of last year’s target is 37.84 percent, the same percentage of this year’s N4.1 trillion will therefore translate to N1.55 trillion.
And going by the geometric increase in its revenue collection, the Apapa Command is expected to gross nothing less than 1 trillion this year.
The command, under the able leadership of Comptroller Yusuf, is by no means intimidated by the task ahead.
Already, Malanta has primed the machinery of the command to execute the project.
“For us in Apapa Area Command, we have already boarded and fastened our seat belts towards the realisation of this target ( the N4.1 trillion revenue target for 2022.)
Such was the zeal, determination and resilience of the one also known as revenue mobiliser.
Malanta knows the structure and internal workings of Apapa command like the back of his hand.
Before his present assignment, he had held sway at the same Command as its ASYCUDA Project Manager(APM) where, working behind the scene, he had used technology to boost the revenue profile of the command.
Using his acumen as a system man, Malanta had worked as the APM to sustain the status of the command as the biggest revenue basket for the service.
Automated system for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is a technological tool used by Customs to enhance its operations and boost revenue generation.
As the one driving the project then, it means that Malanta is well-grounded in automation processes.
His background in ICT technology thus prepared him for his present assignment as the helmsman of the Apapa command.
So it was a homecoming for Malanta in February 2021 when he was redeployed to Apapa, as the Area Controller to work in familiar terrain.
That explains the ease and clinical efficiency he marshalls the revenue machinery of Apapa command for huge harvest.
His knowledge of the terrain and the technicalities of the job also explained why Comptroller Yusuf hit the ground running almost immediately he assumed duties in 2021.
Comptroller Yusuf also combines his proficiency and propensity for revenue generation with trade facilitation with admirable ease.
He encourages trade compliance among the trading public, especially those plying their trade at Apapa command.
His belief was that compliance aids trade facilitation which in turn boosts revenue generation.
As a result, he always preaches compliance among the trading public and admonishes the traders to embrace compliance that will aid quick service delivery.
His love for compliance made him create a special unit called the compliance department which enhances compliance among traders.
With his uncompromising attitude towards compliance, the trading public has come to conform with the tenets of goods clearing procedures at the command.
Also, the men and officers of the command, the foot soldiers and field commanders, have taken a cue from the revenue Marshall not to compromise in their duties.
Whoever among the trading public who refuses to be compliant always feels the wrath of the revenue Marshall who seizes such unconventional goods without batting an eyelid.
This explains the uncompromising anti-smuggling machinery of the command which rolls with ruthless and clinical efficiency that recorded 103 seizures of contraband goods in 2021 with duty paid value of N31.227 billion.
The trade facilitation drive of the command has also resulted in the processing of five million, three hundred and eighty tonnes of exports in 2021 with the dollar value of $641 million as against the $340 million recorded in 2020
Comptroller Yusuf has often told the trading public that he is a friend to compliant traders while a nemesis to recalcitrant ones.
The revenue Marshall at the command has therefore dexterously combined the use of technology, superior
To realise the 2022 revenue goal, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), the Customs High commander, can always rely on the technology-savvy of Malanta to lead the crack team of revenue mobilisers in the service who are expected to prosecute the onerous task of meeting the N4.1 trillion revenue mark.
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Commentaries
AMBO At 60: The technocrat Osun needs for defining future
Abiola Oluwaseun.
Today, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, turns 60.
Yet his birthday is more than a personal milestone; it has become a political moment for Osun State, where citizens increasingly recognise that competence, not theatrics, must define the next chapter of leadership.
Over the decades, the name AMBO has evolved from an acronym into a brand of leadership: calm yet decisive, technocratic yet deeply connected to the grassroots, firm yet unfailingly humane.
In a political climate where noise is often mistaken for achievement, Oyebamiji represents a refreshing countercurrent.
His rise embodies what governance should be , that is, thoughtful, grounded, and anchored in systems that outlive individuals.
Born and raised in Ikire, Oyebamiji’s childhood reflected the realities of rural Southwestern Nigeria in the 1970s: modest homes, tight-knit families, and parents who believed that education was the greatest inheritance.
These early experiences shaped his enduring ethos, which holds that success must be built on discipline, learning, and service, rather than shortcuts or populist gimmicks.
That ethos carried him into the banking sector in the late 1980s, where he began a nearly 40-year career spanning commercial banking, investment management, and public finance.
Whether at Wema Bank or in later roles, he became known for precision, calmness and an uncommon ability to navigate complexity, attributes that would later define his public life.
For instance, as Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, Oyebamiji earned a reputation for steadiness when the economy was anything but steady.
He managed crises, stabilised financial systems, and insisted on transparency at a time when many states were buckling under fiscal pressure.
At the helm of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), he introduced reforms that revived a long-neglected sector.
His insistence on safety protocols, digital compliance systems, and staff capacity-building restored credibility to an agency once dismissed as dormant.
These reforms did not just solve immediate problems; they laid structural foundations that will endure long after his exit, a hallmark of leaders who build institutions rather than headlines.
In a political era dominated by theatrics, Oyebamiji’s competence is a quiet but persuasive argument for a different kind of governance.
Perhaps the most compelling part of AMBO’s recent journey is his intentional return to the grassroots.
Long before declaring his gubernatorial ambition, he toured all 30 local government areas of Osun and sometimes with only a handful of aides, meeting traditional rulers, youth groups, farmers, market women, and party stakeholders.
What he offered was not money or slogans, but time and listening, a rarity in modern politics.
Residents expected a quick speech and a hurried exit. Instead, they encountered a man willing to sit on wooden stools, walk through farms, and ask honest questions about fertiliser, rural roads, and food prices.
That ability to combine technocratic sophistication with human connection has become one of his strongest political assets.
In a state where people insist on touchable leadership, AMBO passes the test.
Osun stands at a crossroads. After three years under an administration more famous for dance-floor theatrics than developmental strategy, the state confronts deep financial pressures, faltering infrastructure, an underperforming agrarian economy, and widening political fractures.
Now, this moment demands a financial expert, not a financial gambler, a planner, not a performance artist and systems builder, not another administrator of stagnation.
In every measurable way, AMBO fits the brief.
His mastery of budgeting, revenue optimisation, and long-term economic planning is not theoretical but proven.
His experience with national logistics and waterway infrastructure gives him an edge in building rural value chains and improving mobility.
And his calm but firm leadership style offers a bridge for a politically divided state yearning for stability.
Some analysts argue that Osun’s next leader must be someone whose legitimacy comes from competence rather than charisma.
Others point to AMBO’s organic support base, who are mostly youths, traditional councils, workers, and party stakeholders, as evidence of a candidate whose popularity grows not from noise but from trust.
At 60, Oyebamiji stands at the convergence of experience, foresight, and maturity.
He is part of a generation of technocrats who understand both the old Osun and the new one that must emerge.
His ambition is not driven by desperation but by preparedness.
As one associate puts it, “AMBO is the kind of leader who prepares long before he steps into the arena.”
That discipline is rare and that’s precisely what Osun needs.
Birthdays are checkpoints, and at 60, AMBO arrives at one with a résumé richer than that of any aspirant in the race: a childhood rooted in Ikire, a career refined in the banking halls of Lagos, a reputation tested in Osun’s public finance, and a national leadership role that broadened his perspective.
He embodies a blend of technocratic depth, local legitimacy, and national exposure.
As Osun inches toward its next gubernatorial transition, the question is not whether AMBO is qualified.
It is whether the state is ready to embrace the kind of leadership that prioritises systems over spectacle, results over rhetoric, and people over performance.
The evidence suggests that Osun’s moment of clarity has come just as history often rewards preparedness with opportunity, politics rewards timing.
And at 60, with his credentials, character, and deepening support across the state, it is increasingly clear that this is AMBO’s time.
Abiola Oluwaseun writes from Gbogan, Osun State
Commentaries
Who is afraid of Bashir Jamoh, NIMASA boss?
Ikechukwu Ukaegbu
The resurfacing of corruption allegations against the DG NIMASA sparks of nothing short of mischief.
Social media has been awashed with the fake news that N1.5 trillion, $9 Million looted funds were traced to NIMASA boss, Bashir Jamoh’s Personal Account.
However, what is more nauseating is the circulation of this false and stale information by social media users without any form of fact-checking.
No wonder experts have stated that the third world war may be triggered by the misuse of the internet.
About a year ago, Jackson Ude published a damaging article accusing Dr. Jamoh of corruption. Ude is a self-acclaimed journalist and lapdog for the opposition and other disgruntled elements.
He has carved a niche for blackmailing and maligning the government and its top officials.
Owing to his innocence, the NIMASA DG immediately issued a rebuttal and to further validate his incorruptibility, wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting that the allegation leveled against him be investigated; a gesture which was applauded by the public and viewed as a bold move and first of its kind.
Meanwhile, investigations conducted since last year by notable sources revealed that the allegations were nothing but an outright falsehood and mistaken identity.
The analysis of screenshots of chats shared by Ude showed that the report was actually against a retired employee of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Hamza Jamo, who happened to also be a representative of Talent Enterprise, a Dubai-based training firm.
Forensic analysis also showed that the number shared by Ude belonged to the NNPC former staff and not the NIMASA DG but Ude in his quest for mischief refused to conduct due diligence before publishing the disparaging report.
Also, the Dubai-based company, which the former NNPC staff represents went on to issue a statement denying ever having any business relationship with NIMASA or with its Director General.
It is also because the allegations against the NIMASA boss by security agencies were discovered to be false that the EFCC never went after him. Instead, a manhunt was launched for Ude for his detrimental lies.
As usual, he cowardly fled. From a distance outside Nigeria, he throws stones big enough to destroy others’ integrity. Jamoh is not his first or only victim. Ude has targeted many innocent people. He has never proved his allegations. When sued for reputational damage, he is not found to be brought to book.
The recycling of stale information and fake news a year after it was circulated for ill-intentioned purposes is unfortunate and tactless. It is not surprising that these attacks came at a time Jamoh planned to contest the Kaduna State Governorship post.
That it coincided with this political outing revealed an attempt by saboteurs. But he is not going to be on the ballot. Making the spread of the fake information at the heels of the suspension of the Accountant General is a futile effort designed to make the Buhari Government look corrupt.
But despite these continued attempts by the likes of Ude and his sponsors to distract him, Jamoh has excelled as the NIMASA DG.
His appointment by the President is indicative of his capacity to perform excellently, especially with his more than 30 years of experience in the maritime sector.
Not only has he integrated national security and waterways protection infrastructure in the country, he initiated the SHADE Gulf of Guinea project which is playing an active role in tackling sea piracy.
It was following this genius initiative that the International Maritime Bureau struck out Nigeria from its piracy list. In addition, due to his innovative leadership, the number of seafarers has increased with over 2, 000 Nigerians trained under the National Seafarers Development Programme while security to over 22 port facilities in Nigeria has substantially improved.
No doubt, these immeasurable, achievements in just one year have led to enhanced developments in the Nigerian maritime industry. Understandably, his opponents are unhappy and have resorted to adversarial antics to soil his name and make nonsense of his feats.
Nigerians must stand up against fake news and its harmful effect. The use of yellow journalists to attack and undermine honest as well as passionate government officials who are making giant strides in their areas of appointments to move Nigeria forward should also be totally condemned.
As the DG NIMASA continues to write his name in the sands of time, let those who are after him or his job know that their schemes can only end in futility.
Ikechukwu Ukaegbu, is a Maritime Safety Analyst and resides in Abuja, FCT.
Commentaries
APC Primaries: Who wins Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal constituency mandate?
By Fred Uwaoma
As the stage is set for All Progressives Congress(APC) primaries for different elective positions, aspirants are adopting deft political strategies to woe delegates to give them the enabling vote to emerge as the party’s preferred candidate. This is because APC appears sure to beat any other party because PDP which is the ruling party in the state has received bashing for poor performance and lacklustre governance.
One interesting zone of the contest is the Isuikwuato /Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state primarily because the aspirants are all women.
Again the incumbent legislator occupying the position, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has stayed for four terms and is still nursing the ambition to occupy the position for the fifth term which the other contestants consider not only abnormal but gluttonous clutch at the power which must be broken.
Another argument is that the constituency which belongs to Isuikwuato and Umunneochi has by implication been annexed by the incumbent who is from Umunneochi for almost 16 years not minding the feelings of the other side.
Perhaps this is why the two other aspirants are from Isuikwuato.
HOW THE CANDIDATES STAND:
The battle line is drawn between the incumbent, Hon. Nkeiru Onyejeocha, Dr. Onyinye Kay Rufus-Obi and Dr. Lilian Obenwa.
HONOURABLE NKEIRU ONYEJEOCHA
53-year-old Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha from Isuochi is the incumbent candidate representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi at the Federal House of Representatives.
She was first elected member of the Federal House of Representatives in 2007, and later re-elected in 2015, both under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
She defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC in 2018 after coming under intense pressure from her former party leaders to drop her ambition for a return ticket to the house. In 2019, she won her re-election bid for a fourth term in Nigeria’s Green Chamber. She is one of the longest-serving members of the house.
In 2019, Onyejocha contested for the position of speaker of the male-dominated Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives against Femi Gbajabiamila from Lagos State nominated for the position by her party – APC. Onyejocha’s major campaign issue was to zone speakership position to the South-East for a balanced distribution of key federal powers among the six geo-political zones of the country. But she stepped down less than 24 hours before the election.
Onyejocha was previously Executive Transition Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State in 2002. In 2003 she served in the executive cabinet of Abia State as commissioner for Resource Management and Manpower Development. At the National Assembly, she served as the Chairman of Women in Parliament and Chairman, the House Committee on Aviation. Her legislative interests border on sponsoring bills that will enhance the standard of living for children, women, youths and the less privileged, education and infrastructure including the health and aviation sector. She believes her target achievements include ‘delivery of good and lasting democratic dividends to her constituency and Nigeria at large through responsive legislation.’
She goes by the chieftaincy title of “ADA-EJI-AGA-MBA 1” of the Umunneochi Local Government Area.
Arguments For:
As a ranking and active member of the House, she stands a high chance of being re-elected by the constituency
She is one of the big bigwigs in the state and so has the party hierarchy at her beck and call
Arguments Against:
She is said to have overstayed at the House and should give way for people with fresh ideas to occupy the seat.
If the latest policy by the party not to allow any candidate that has stayed for three terms to contest for the same position pulls through, Onyejeocha stands disqualified.
Analysts are saying that she should not wait to be disgraced before bowing to the wish of the people to give way for fresh minds
She is considered power-hungry for stopping at nothing to cling to the position even when she has used four terms for Umunneochi at the disadvantage of the Isuikwuato part of the constituency.
She is regarded as arrogant and believes that her access to the party structure in the state guarantees her victory any day.
Grapevine says that she has concentrated efforts on developing only Umunneochi by attracting Federal presence while leaving Isuikwuato marginalised.
Dr ONYINYE KAY RUFUS-OBI
Dr. Onyinye Kay Rufus-Obi is the daughter of a pharmaceutical mogul, Rufus Obi of the Rufus Obi Chemists fame in Aba, Abia commercial city. Rufus Obi, with the famous title – Enyi Abia is recognized even in death ( posthumously) by the State. Dr Onyinye is the Managing Director and CEO of Ureccon Ltd, Home Essentials Ltd and sits on the board of several companies including Mogjan Nig Ltd which is executing the security of the railways in Nigeria.
She is on the board of Rufus OBI Chemists & Co Ltd, a 48-year-old pharmaceutical company established by her late father, an Oxford University UK graduate and trained Pharmacist.
She is a seasoned Optometrist from the prestigious University of Benin, Nigeria.
She had her Master class certificate from London Graduate School
Dr. Onyinye Kay Rufus- Obi is an astute and experienced business gold fingered Mogul and Entrepreneur, who works tirelessly to fuel developmental progress through her extensive work with the people in authority and leaders in government. She has since successfully executed projects that served as catalysts for great developmental strides in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Amazingly, she is currently working on providing security on the newly established railroad lines across Nigeria to solve the problem of vandalism and threat to lives and property on the railways.
She is a kind-hearted philanthropist and kingdom financier whose life mission is to empower less privileged communities. Her works and interventions have assisted thousands in improving their standards of living.
In 2019, she was appointed the Executive Special Assistant Finance to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission. She aided the agency in the enrichment of the oil-producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria in ways too numerous to mention and got a lot of projects injected into the NDDC budget for Abia State with special emphasis on the Isuikwuato Local Govt Area for 3 consecutive years.
Analysts believe she is an ICON with tremendous, inborn love for her people.
She is a very devoted and dedicated mother to her children.
Arguments for:
Research showed that she had early exposure to politics through her father who always takes her around while visiting the likes of Chief Michael Okpara and other notable juggernauts in the state for political meetings.
She is given to philanthropy and her records show that she does not discriminate whether the person is from Umunneochi or Isuikwuato, Yoruba, or Hausa.
Although she is regarded as quiet, which is a minus politically in this clime, she is calculating and not flippant. She is not arrogant and respects elders but is highly principled.
She is a go-getter by nature prompting analysts to believe that she will dwarf Onyejeocha in achievements by all standards.
She is urbane. As a child, she spent her vacations abroad and got good exposure way back.
One should think that being born with a silver spoon would have made her proud and arrogant but the opposite is the case. She is humble and down-to-earth.
Growing up, she spent her vacations abroad (Europe and America) traveling with her parents.
She has been exposed to wealth early, has enjoyed life, and would not have reason to divert people’s money because of her good upbringing and genuine heart for the people.
Analysts believe she will definitely do better than Onyejeocha.
CHIEF LILIAN OBENWA
Chief Lady Lilian Chinasa Obenwa popularly referred to as Ugo eji eje Mba is from Ekebe Eluama in Isuikwuato local government area.
She had her primary and secondary education in Owerri, Imo State. She is a holder of a bachelor of arts degree in mass communication from Imo State University.
Obenwa is a recipient of several Awards and chieftaincy titles from communities around SouthEast states. She has been conferred with the titles of Ugo Eji Eje Mba 1 of item, Bende local government, Abia State, Igolo South East, Onu na ekwuru umu-nwanyi, Achala Ugo Nwanyi.
Reports show that she was in 2019 recognized by the government as the Imo State Director of Importers Association of Nigeria, IMAN special taskforce.
Her emergence then was made official by the IMAN Director-General, Amb. Chijioke Okoro in a letter dated 19th July 2019 addressed to both Imo State government House, and Imo State Police command, respectively.
In the letter, the Director explained that the reason for her appointment was geared towards the organization’s mission of combating the illegal smuggling of firearms and substandard goods into the country.
This obviously shows that she has played in the public space.
Arguments for:
She has a high desire to represent the constituency at the House as this ambition has remained in her since the last elective season.
She will try to make an impact at the house because of her trait of wanting to get popular.
Arguments Against:
She is not well known like the other two so could be regarded as a dark horse.
She appears not to have a solid structure and lacks attention to details judging from her latest circulating campaign poster.
Although she is a degree holder, analysts believe that her public speaking ability is not well tested, so this may work against her at the House.
She is regarded as loud, and friendly but alleged not to be trusted in business relationships. There are allegations that people that have had political dealings with her complain that she eats their money and doesn’t distribute the bounty given to them.
She ran against Onyejeocha in 2019 but couldn’t make much impact. Analysts think it was all bark and no bite, which made the Abia Political godfathers to tell her to step down.
She lacks the war chest to mount a sustainable campaign programme.
CONCLUSION
Looking at the three how and they stand, Onyejeocha has the incumbency factor going for her.
But the odds are against her for overstaying at the House and the party moguls may already be frowning at this.
Dr Onyinye who has the advantage of already staying in Abuja and at the same time connected to the grassroots with mass following is well favoured to carry the day.
Because of the current campaign for more women in power, her emergence is likely to be total with the low performance of PDP in the State.
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