The Apapa Port Command of Nigeria Customs Service and it’s Area Controller have been honoured with three awards at Comptroller General of Customs Award for Revenue Collection and an Award of Excellence for its outstanding feats at the CGC Award Night held on Friday, in Abuja.
Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the Customs Area Controller emerged “Best Controller of the Year” for his exceptional leadership and improving on the command’s capacity to deliver on its mandates at Nigeria’s premier port of Apapa
The three awards which were presented to the command on Friday, at a ceremony hosted by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, recognised the command for its various groundbreaking achievements in the areas of revenue collection, anti-smuggling and trade facilitation.
For the first time in the history of the command, it generated N2tr as revenue into government coffers as of November 20, 2024.
Under the leadership of Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the command raised the bar of preventing revenue leakages and achieving maximum collection, even in the face of low trade volume
With its daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly evaluation of its activities mechanism, the command ensures that all officers resume early, process all entries timely, carry out diligent examination and shun compromise in the discharge of their duties.
Receiving the awards, Comptroller Olomu urged all officers to rededicate themselves to duty, saying the plaques and certificates are honour to the officers.
The Area Controller described the achievements as result of teamwork, dedication, focus and cooperation. He said no leader can excel without supportive lieutenants and called for continuous support from all stakeholders as we enter the last month of the year 2024.
In a statement by the command’s PRO, CSC Abubakar Usman, which he shared with the media, Olomu described the award as a motivation for selflessness, call for increased commitment and a challenge to sustain and improve on the tempo of work at the command which will cascade to all bonded terminals attached to it.
The Controller also urged all port users to rededicate themselves to national service by being law abiding and reporting suspected unlawful acts in the port to the service and other security agencies.
Comptroller Olomu lauded import and export traders who have used Apapa Port within the period of his leadership and implored them to operate in full compliance with the guidelines for their trade.
While thanking the CGC, Adeniyi whom he described as a source of inspiration and good example for all officers to emulate, for the honour bestowed on the command, he admonished officers of the command not to see the awards of The best command of the year, The best command in revenue collection and the best Customs Area Controller as the end of hard work but a motivation and challenge to work harder.
