How CGC Adewale Adeniyi is Prioritizing Staff Welfare To Improve Customs Productivity
By Oyewale Oyelola
The appointment of Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR) as Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service by President Bola Tinubu was a morale booster for Officers and pointer that they can rise zenith of their career in the service.
Expectedly, CGC Adewale Adeniyi having rose through ranks to become the Nigeria Customs Service boss understands where shoe pinches the committed, dedicated, dogged and resilient Officers working day and night to prevent smuggling of goods into the country as well as economic saboteurs scheming to shortchange Nigeria. He has therefore prioritize staff welfare and renewing hope within the Service.
CGC Adeniyi is championing salary review and improved exit package for Officers after their retirement. When this is achieved, it would definitely boost morale of Customs Officers and empower them to survive amidst the growing inflation in the country.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service while giving Workers assurance at a Public event said: “We need to motivate our officers a little bit more because the last time we reviewed their salaries was over five years ago and I think we are due for another review and we will also take a second look at some of the allowances have been taken to do their jobs. We will also look at exit packages for officers who are retiring so that they will concentrate on the job while they are on active service.”
Similarly, he has also enhanced the payroll system to ensure timely payment of salaries and allowances.
Apart from that, Adeniyi has also achieved great feat in terms of Officers promotion by completing promotion exercise for 2023 before December 31. It was another transparent and prompt exercise happening in the service for the first time. He reportedly mandated his team to eliminate administrative bottlenecks and provided necessary logistics support for smooth exercise within 2400 beneficiaries.
In area of capacity building, CGC Adeniyi within one year of leading Customs has invested heavily in this career area in order to boost productivity by sponsoring Officers to local and international trainings. During the second half of 2023, a total of 6000 officers travelled abroad for different capacity programmes. 50 Junior Officer (Course 16) graduated from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja under Adeniyi’s leadership.
Likewise, the caring and humane CGC is also addressing accommodation challenge by constructing modern, befitting and climate change friendly barracks for officers in Kaduna, Sagamu (Ogun State), Lagos and other areas. The Customs Boss with foresight has also introduced Owner occupier under Mortgage for Officers to have their own houses. The scheme has commenced in Kaduna and Abuja with thousands of Officers embracing the initiative tailored towards having secured future after investing productive years in service.
Additionally, Adeniyi having spent about three decades in the Nigeria Customs Service foresee that lack of good reward system is killing morale of dogged and highly dedicated Officers. He has therefore introduced compensation packages for landmark achievements of Officers. This prompted him to compensate their hard work with special promotion. Officers involved in arms seizures will be compensated
It’s a known fact that NCS job requires stamina and good health, to this end the Service has partnered NHIS for coverage of medicals of Officers nationwide. Thousands of Officers have been enrolled while registration sensitization is ongoing across Customs Command nationwide.
It’s therefore not surprising when CGC Adewale Adeniyi was honored with Presidential Award as the best in revenue generation. His investment as well as commitment towards Officers’ welfare is yielding good fruits and will continue to propel them to do more for enhanced productivity.
Oyewale is Public Affairs Analyst, he writes from Lagos.