The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has solicited the support of border communities to strengthen national security for trade facilitation and economic development.
The Acting. Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, also pledged to improve the NCS community relations in border areas to facilitate the discharge of its mandates.
Adeniyi stated this when he visited the royal fathers of Iko Idiroko, Ikpokia and Ilaro kingdoms at the weekend.
He said members of the communities, like other border communities in the country, have a significant role in helping security agencies in the discharge of their role as regards national security.
Idiroko is very strategic to our operations and all borders around it represent a strategic gateway to not just trade and economic development, but also for National security management.
The community leaders appreciated the customs boss for his visit while raising concerns on issues affecting their livelihood.
The Customs Boss, in response, charged them to channel their reactions appropriately to the government as the new administration would grant a listening ear while also soliciting their support.
He also noted that recruitment policies will be revisited to ensure that more people from the border communities get slots into Nigeria Customs Service.
“One fair commitment is that we will do better in recruitment with people in border communities in the Nigeria Customs Service because we believe that they are stakeholders, and the customs community relationship is stronger when you know you have your sons and daughters in the service.
“We are also not unmindful of the fact that where we have this kind of critical operations, we should also be talking about the kind of corporate social responsibility programs that we are going to be doing in places like this.
The CGC also visited the Ogun I Area Command at Idiroko, where he discussed with representatives of sister agencies and the Republic of Benin Customs Administration as well as stakeholders.
He reiterated the need for all agencies to remain focused and committed to national and regional security.
We see every criminal as an enemy of the state first, before you begin to talk about our mandate of smuggling, human and drug trafficking, and all of that,” emphasised.
