The current Customs Area Comptroller (CAC) of Tin Can Command, Mr. Frank Onyeka, has assured of his readiness to sustain the tempo of trade facilitation and increase in revenue collection for the Nigeria Customs Service at the Command.
Comptr. Onyeka gave the hint when he met with the Executive members of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, led by its President, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, at the Command.
The CAC lauded his predecessor, Mr. Dera Nnadi, who is now an Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) of Customs, for his outstanding performance, when he held sway as the Area Comptroller.
According to Comptr Onyeka, the former Comptroller was his boss, friend, and teacher; who scored 100% in infrastructure, anti-smuggling, and revenue collection.
Affirming that he did superbly well, Comptroller Onyeka said that his predecessor, ACG Dera Nnadi, was fortunate to have maintained what he considers to be a fantastic relationship with the media, which he believed was his background; adding that he will leverage on ACG Nnadi’s achievements and try to do better, as he is coming as a revenue man.
In his words: “You know what I mean? His background is PR. You know, I’m coming from the perspective of revenue. So it is my prayer to meet my revenue target and surpass it.
“What we are going to do going forward,
those probably, that left here for one reason or the other, we are going to bring them on board to know what their problems are, if they left genuinely for circumstances beyond them, if they left because of what they felt we could have done to enable them perform their businesses, we’ll give them our terms,” Comptr. Onyeka stated.
He, in the meantime, disclosed to MARAN that his main focus will be on proper examination of containers, pointing out that he has urged his officers to ensure that containers are opened and properly inspected.
According to him: “I have appealed to my officers and told them that whatever they want to do, let them see that the containers are opened and examined.
“And whatever they want to examine, all the relevant agencies must be present, such as CIU and Valuation, so as to be on the same page.
And it is my prayer, I believe, that all of us will be on the same page to make sure that the Renewal Hope of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is brought to fruition.
“I appreciate the fact that our indefatigable CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, brought me here. He did not make any mistake. I need to make him proud,” Onyeka assured.
In his earlier speech, the President of MARAN, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, expressed the eagerness of the Association to collaborate with the CAC and the Command to meet their objectives in a timely manner.
He emphasized the association’s strong commitment to providing Comptroller Onyeka with the same level of support that was given to his predecessor, now ACG Dera Nnadi.
