Compt. M.S Shuaibu Hands Over To G.A Otunla At Ogun 1 Customs
Compt. M.S Shuaibu Hands Over To G.A Otunla At Ogun 1 Customs
By Jerry Aguigbo
Comptroller Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu today handed over reigns of office at Ogun 1 Customs Command, Idiroko to Controller Godwin A. Otunla.
In a brief ceremony at the Command’s premises today, the out going Controller, Comptroller MS Shuaibu who was visibly elated, thanked all present for the dint of hard work they put in, collaborating to ensure that he stay at the Idiroko border Command was memorable, as he was able to make his mark in spite of the challenges.
“To our sister security agencies, traditional leaders stakeholders, I am deeply thankful for your collaboration. The challenges we faced at our borders were not ours alone to solve, and your partnership has been invaluable in maintaining peace and stability in our area of operations.”
He however welcomed Controller A.G Otunla to the Command, while expressing confidence of a successful stay at the Idiroko Customs Command.
His words: “I wholeheartedly congratulate my successor, Comptroller GA Otunla, on his well-deserved deployment as the new Area Controller Ogun I Command. I am confident that you will bring your wealth of experience to bear in the administration of the Command. However, for you to succeed, you need the unalloyed cooperation of everyone.”
Compt. Shuaibu appealled for the unwavering support of all officers and men, Sister Security agencies, traditional institutions as well as esteemed stakeholders for the new CAC. While praying for God’s guidance and intervention for a successful tenure.
” After few months of my tenure as Customs Area Controller Ogun 1 Command, the time has come for me to say good bye. During my term in office, a lot of hard decisions were taken for effective performance and general outputs.
I certainly made some difficult decisions that in my humble opinion yielded positive results. In the course of taking these decisions, feathers were ruffled, toes were stepped upon but each and every one of those decisions was not taken for personal gains, they were rather for set targets. It is in this light, that I am very pleased to say that the Command has also changed dramatically both in structures, Revenue generation, Anti smuggling activities and Trade facilitation.
Today, it is not my intention to list out all that we have accomplished. I believe they speak for themselves. Rather, I would like to take this opportunity to briefly offer some of my impressions on how things have fared for the past 3 months.
What comes to mind first and foremost was revenue we generated during the period. Under my leadership, the Command generated Forty Three Million, Four Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety Four Naira (N43, 412,794.00) from January to April this year 2025.
“On Anti smuggling activities, for the past three months, we have recorded 161 seizures of different prohibited items, prominent to be mentioned is seizures of 3,699 Cannabis Sativa of different make and sizes, 150 Sacks of India Hemp, three Single barrel long Guns, four packets of 25 cartridges of 100 pieces of Cartridges and 7,000,000,000 CFA.”
He thanked the Comptroller General of Customs and the management team for providing the opportunity to serve in this position and for their encouragement and confidence reposed in him.
“I truly feel that the last three months have been fulfilling and have given me the opportunity to gain valuable experiences.”
“In closing, let me echo Saint Paul in saying that “I have run with perseverance and have finished the race”. Whether I have finished the race successfully or not is not for me to say – I will leave it to you all to be the judge.
Remember, our nation depends on us to safeguard its economic prosperity and security.”
Responding, Comptroller G. A Otunla pledged more collaboration, and community relations. He warned that his administration
shall remain unwavering in its commitment to actualising the core
mandates of the Nigeria Customs Service including revenue generation, suppression
of smuggling, facilitation of legitimate trade, and protection of national security. He therefore
appealled to all officers and men of this Command to remain committed,
disciplined, and professional in the discharge of their duties.
According to him,
” Our success as a team
will depend largely on our unity of purpose, adherence to ethical conduct, and pursuit
of excellence. Together, we will sustain the culture of diligence and ensure that the
Command remains a model of efficiency and service delivery. Otunla assured the traditional rulers, community leaders, host communities, and all relevant
stakeholders of his resolve to continue operating
open door policy. “We shall build on the robust partnerships established by my predecessor, and we shall deepen collaboration in ways that foster mutual
understanding, peace, and shared progress.”
“Let me also use this opportunity to sound a clear note of caution to economic
saboteurs and smugglers who may wish to test our resolve. This new administration
under my watch will not tolerate any form of economic sabotage. We shall deploy
all lawful means to combat smuggling and enforce compliance with extant trade laws
and regulations. Our approach will be firm, fair, and intelligence-driven,” Otunba stressed.
