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E- Auction: Adeniyi’s Magic Wand Against Translucence in Nigeria Custom Service
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
The Leadership of Adewale Adeniyi as Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service NCS is laced with transparency and accountability, particularly in his quest to bequeath a lasting legacies in the service .
This resulted in matching words with actions from the recently declared first quarter revenue generated by the service that overshot the expected income of each quarter, to meet the 5 trillion target in the current year, 2024.
The accountable activities of the NCS does not stop at revenue generation alone, which is the core mandate of the agency, but had proved it’s mettle in one of the core programs , the E-Auction , a process that was hitherto shrouded in mystery and sharp practices.
This year’s exercise under the leadership of Adeniyi was laced with decorum, particularly from point to point that led to the generation of huge revenue amounting to half a billion.
With the crystal enumeration of both seized items, goods and overtime cargoes abandoned at the ports, hitherto been fraudulently manipulated, Adeniyi adopted a sane measure that became a rallying point to the stakeholders and not feasible in the previous years in the NCS.
Gone where those days when both the officers and men through proxy and stooges re-circled e-auction activities through hijacking of the process, that does not go down well with the public and stakeholders.
For Adeniyi, to sustain the laudable platform meant to sanitize the system, transparency and accountability must be a watch word to the public, particularly at this crucial time when the image of the service have been subject to public scrutiny and debates.
With the new leadership in the Nigerian Customs NCS , efforts must be put in place to restore it’s lost glory and relive true confidence of Nigerians in the service.
With a committee in place appointed by the CG NCS, which screened publicly applicants from over 13, 000 subscribers, with 476 vehicles uploaded on the portal , which 462 won.
With the workable format of auctioning goods to the public along with payment of statutory duties on the vehicles, the service is returning to the part of glory that will earn the prestige and confidence of ordinary Nigerians.
This is against the backdrop of public outcry, insinuations and allegations of manipulation by officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service NCS, appointed by the CG NCS who were men of proven integrity and service delivery.
The decision of the NCS DG to relive e- auction as a platform to dispose vehicles and goods will discourage corruption and smuggling at the ports.
With the establishment of guidelines and procedures, ordinary Nigerians can apply through the process online to own a car or goods of his/her choice provided it is guided by the rules of the game.
With the new format and positive development, no doubt the previous erosion of confidence of the general public in the NCS would have become a thing of the past.
All hands must however be on deck to continue to support not only the transformation agenda of Adewale Adeniyi in the new NCS, but support to transparency and accountability as well as the rule of law backed the operations of it’s act.
For Adewale Adeniyi, the process of rebuilding the NCS away from its traditional and analogue form of rendering its service to the general public is on course, with digitisation as the other of the day, both nationally and internationally.
The E- Auction platform has come to stay, having been tested and trusted with less human activities that will attract public outcry, rather than commendation from the current exercise.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to the recent appointment of Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to address discussions surrounding this leadership transition. His post aimed to clarify that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not dismiss Mele Kyari, a northerner, to replace him with a southerner, as some speculated. Instead, Olayinka pointed out that Ojulari, like Kyari, hails from the northern region of Nigeria.
According to Olayinka’s post on his official X account, he emphasised that Bashir Ojulari is from Kwara State, located in North Central Nigeria. Additionally, the new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, originates from Borno State in the North East.
His post stated: “Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL CEO, is a northerner from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is also a northerner, from Borno State, North East Nigeria.”
Olayinka’s statement came in response to narratives suggesting that the appointment was politically motivated to favour one region over another.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State, while warning against retaliatory violence targeting Southerners in Northern Nigeria.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, MBF Spokesman Luka Binniyat denounced inflammatory threats from individuals claiming to represent Northern interests in response to the killings.
Recalled that the victims, were allegedly armed hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano when they were attacked by a mob that accused them of being kidnappers.
“The MBF strongly condemns the unlawful killing of any Nigerian citizen, including those who lost their lives in Uromi,” the statement read. “However, we categorically reject any attempt to use this tragic incident as a pretext to unleash violence against Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria.”
The forum assured that the Middle Belt would not become a battleground for reprisals, emphasizing that it remains a safe haven for all law-abiding Nigerians. It urged community leaders and youths to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to instigate violence, calling for anyone with such intentions to be handed over to authorities.
The MBF also reaffirmed its commitment to justice for all victims of violence across Nigeria. The statement highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing Middle Belt communities, citing persistent attacks by armed herdsmen with little government intervention.
” We hope that the swift response to the Uromi killings would serve as a precedent for broader action against criminal elements terrorizing the region.
“Thousands of our people remain in captivity, and vast portions of our land are still under the control of violent outlaws—primarily Fulani militants,” the statement noted.
“Justice must be served across the board.”
The MBF concluded by reiterating its support for the ongoing investigation into the Uromi incident and calling for a fair and decisive crackdown on all forms of criminality across the country.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.