The Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has paid a courtesy visit to the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle in Ilaro, where he pledged to improve on the rating of Customs-Community relations in border areas.
The Acting CG told Oba Olugbenle that he embarked on the visit to assure the border communities of his desire to explore new frontiers of a robust and mutually responsible relationship.
“I will request you, as a community, to continue to support the government. We have a new administration that has shown that it will listen to the people, a new administration that has demonstrated that when policies are not working, we are ready to review it”, he said.
“Because of that commitment, I want to charge members of this community to channel their reactions appropriately to government, and as a responsible government, I believe that government will listen to you and make amendments where necessary.”
He assured Oba Olugbenle of providing fair opportunities for indigenes of border communities for recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service.
“We are also not unmindful of the fact that where we have this kind of critical operations, we should also be talking of corporate social responsibility activities that will promote goodwill for the Nigerian Customs,” he said.
In his response, Oba Olugbenle congratulated the new Comptroller-General of Customs on his appointment, adding that he and his people look forward to a more responsive administration under the new CG.
“I believe that as a seasoned Customs Officer who is well grounded in Public Relations and the Omoluabi culture, you would give the Nigerian Customs a new image that will shore up its goodwill among our people”, he said.
He called on the new CG and the Federal Government to review the policy on closure of borders and restriction on movement of goods and services within 20 kilometres to the border to reduce the suffering of Nigerians who are being unfairly discriminated against simply because of their place of birth, noting that such treatment is against the provisions of Chapter II, Article 15 of the Nigerian Constitution which forbids discriminatory policies against any Nigerian on the grounds of their place of origin.
He prayed that God would guide, protect and strengthen the new CG with the courage to achieve all the lofty plans and programmes he intends to implement to promote better relationship with the border communities.
On hand to receive the Custom’s CG were some members of the Yewa Traditional Council and Yewa Chiefs. They include the Olu of Imasayi Yewa, Oba Lukmon Kuoye; the Oloja of Oja-Odan, Oba Oyebanji Olowobese; the Apagunpote of Yewaland, Otunba Akeem Adigun and the Oluomo of Yewaland, Chief Dende Egungbohun.
The new Comptroller General, Adewale Adeniyi, also visited the Oniko of Iko Idiroko, Oba John Olakunle Ojo and the Onipokia of Ipokia, Oba Yisa Adesola Olaniyan.
Signed:
Prince Femi Dokunmu,
Media Consultant to the Paramount Ruler.
