NCS: EMERGING LEADERSHIP, POLICY THRUST, CAPACITY AND FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN FROM STAKEHOLDERS
CGC Adeniyi making a speech at an event.
By Innocent Orok
” Change is a fundamental and constant part of life that shapes our Growth, Resilence and Personal Evolution”.
The common saying that ‘ Change is the constant phenomenon in life” is a truism. Again, those who want change, must be the change they want to see in the world and his fact has come to stay in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). No doubt skeptics before now were not certain of the future of the NCS , especially with the exit of senior officers who were regarded as the strong engine room of the service in the last two decades.
It is no longer news that in the next five months, the NCS will witness a total new order, both in management and administrative structure, where a new generation of officers will mount the rostrum after the exodus of the older officers who are retiring either by age 60 years or the mandatory 35 years in service.
It is no longer news either, that the Service Management under Comptroller General (Dr) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi have invested heavily to train these officers both home and abroad and are fully prepared for the transition in leadership of the NCS.
Since this new intending order of leadership change, there have been so much hullaballoo about the emergence of the new NCS Management, especially the fear of the unknown about the style, conduct and character of the officers tagged “Gen Zee Officers”. They have been alleged by some stakeholders to exhibit arrogance, corrupt tendencies and non listening ears to stakeholders complains , but always asking for money or calling big money in small jobs. This alleged character mismatch is growing by the day in the minds of stakeholders and it is very disturbing.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.Margaret Mead.
WHY THE CHANGE IS SACROSANCT
The change in the NCS has become sacrosanct due to the fact that leadership, especially in any Government agency or any organisation is a continuum, as such the NCS must continue to exist to carry out it’s statutory functions to the country. To this end, the NCS Management has invested enough resources to train young officers of 2009/ 2011 who are the next set of officers whom the leadership baton has rested on their shoulders. These officers too are damn ready to takeover the leadership roles in the Service.
WHY THE BATON OF LEADERSHIP FALLS ON 2009/ 2011 SET OF OFFICERS
Like one of Bob Marley’s greatest hits song, “Who the cap fit, let them wear it”. By providence , the next generation of Customs leadership has fallen on the shoulders of the Deputy Comptrollers of 2009 and some 2011 sets. Not by their making or design, but by the ” Doctrine of Necessity” and administrative providence.
For those who have been following the NCS development years back, there was an employment embargo placed on Federal government agencies on recruitment in the 80s and for the NCS, the embargo lasted more than 10 years. The Service never recruited, while officers were retiring in droves. Not untill 2009, under the late Abdullahi Diklo Inde as Comptroller General of the NCS, that the jinx was broken with the embarking on a major recruitment exercise of young officers into the Service. That recruitment exercise produced the 2009 officers and another one carried out in 2011, produced the 2011 officers. These officers are the ones standing in gap to carry on the future of the Customs Service in Nigeria today.
Even after the recruitment exercise in 2009, the then federal government policy of disparity between BSc.( Degree ) holders and Higher National Diploma ( HND) holders further balkanised the Service personnel into serious administrative threats. These are some of the damages that happened to the NCS and that have lead to the situation it finds itself today.
NCS MANAGEMENT ASSURANCES OF A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND PURPOSEFUL LEADERSHIP
To make sure that the NCS remains and maintains its top notch professional agency of government status, carrying out its statutory functions professionally and effectively, the present management of the Service has allayed the fears of stakeholders that the new crop of officers will not do well in carrying out the Service’s mandates. The Management has embarked and still carrying out intensive training programmes for officers. So much human and material resources have been used in both local and international training workshops to brace up the officers for the leadership challenges ahead.
According to CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi in one of the trainings for Deputy Comptrollers of Customs in Lagos recently, he said the officers in the last one year have been vigorously trained in all spheres of management and professional leadership roles and that he is confident they will be handing over to a tested, trusted and dedicated officers who will not disappoint the Service and Nigerians.
SOME TESTED YOUNG OFFICERS IN KEY POSITIONS
To test run their capacities, competence, patriotism and professional leadership prowess, some Deputy Comptrollers of Customs are holding key positions at both Commands and Unit levels. Among them are
Deputy Comptroller Patience Ita, Acting Customs Area Controller of Ondo/ Ekiti Command who is leading with intentions and guts to stakeholders admiration. Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, Acting Customs Area Controller of one of Nigeria’s volatile and busy border at Ogun 1 Command, Idiroko. His performance there speaks volumes and he is changing the narratives. Deputy Comptroller Nura Miko, Acting Customs Area Controller of Nigeria’s busiest roll-in toll-out (RORO) Port at PTML command. He is showing class and building confidence of stakeholders. Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Adigun at KLT Command is diligently performing his duties with professional conduct and skills.
Again, in the performance index are DC Adamu UU of Kano/Jigawa Command, DC Olusola Salako of Lilypond Export Terminal and DC Ntongha Edet of Eastern Marine Command, they are all well groomed officers who are ready for leadership roles in the Service. And even the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada who is doing very well in image management of the service which has won the Service national and international recognitions.
There are several others of both 2009 and 2011 grounded officers in various commands and Units of the Service doing professionally well and are ready for leadership roles in the Service.
CLAMOUR FOR STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT FOR THE NEW LEADERSHIP OF NCS
No doubt the Nigeria Customs Service must evolve and it needs its various stakeholders to carry out its statutory functions and duties effectively. To this end, all stakeholders have been given the assurance that there is nothing to fear about the emergence of the new set of officers. To this end, they need their supports and encouragement.
It is a known fact that, the new leadership in the NCS will be more IT driven as stipulated in the NCS Act 2023 and the World Customs Organisation ( WCO) convention on Modernised Customs Administrations which has to do with seamless transactions to cut down delays in trade and business transactions across borders.
WHAT STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD DO TO CATCH UP WITH THE NEW CUSTOMS
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” .Mahatma Gadhi
Again as the common saying goes in our local parlance ” If you want to catch a Monkey.behave like a Monkey”, it is my candid opinion that the various stakeholders, especially Customs licenced Agents , freight forwarders, manufacturers etc should up their games especially in the areas of technology and digital services. No doubt the new Customs will come with a huge technological know- how that will, if not matched by stakeholders knowledge will create a dichotomy between the parties .
The new Customs will come with the new WCO tools of Authorised Econmic Operator (AEO), Time Release Studies (TRS), E-Manifest among others , if the stakeholders are not in synch and in speed with these new order, then there will be a disconnect between the Service and Stakeholders. So instead of the cries whether the new Customs leadership will do well or not, is left for the stakeholders to match up with changes that will emerge. As the new leadership of Customs will surely come on board when the time comes.
NEED FOR STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR NEW EMERGING NCS
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” Rumi
It is my candid opinion that we should all rally round to support the new leadership of the Customs that will emerge. Whichever way we look at it, let’s support them, encourage them and wish them well.
Fighting them, judging them, blaming them , accusing them or suspecting them even when they have not taken over yet to me is not encouraging at all. All over the world, young people are taking over leadership positions and are doing very well, let’s give the young officers a chance. Who knows, with their trainings, capacity building and leadership skills and Gen zee tactics , they may turn out to be the best crop of Customs officers Nigeria deserves.
FOOTNOTE
Leadership is not by age, size or connection, Leadership is inspired by training, determination and ability to deliver on set goals and objectives. If you don’t try them, you cannot measure or judge them .
“Don’t just learn, experience. Don’t just read, absorb. Don’t just change, transform. Don’t just relate, advocate. Don’t just promise, prove. Don’t just criticise, encourage. Don’t just think, ponder. Don’t just take, give. Don’t just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don’t just hear,listen. Don’t just talk, act. Don’t just tell, show. Don’t just exist, live.”
Roy T. Bennett,
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