News

Customs Moves To Block Revenue Leakages

Published

14 years ago

March 9, 2012

Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, says the ongoing revolution in the service is geared towards blocking leakages, boosting revenue targets and laundering the image of the service.

Dikko said this in Abuja recently while fielding questions at a forum .

He said that the revolution in the service included training and retraining of officers and men as well as a review of its operational strategies and principles in line with the Act establishing the service.

The comptroller-general attributed achievements of the NCS especially in meeting its revenue targets to the ongoing reforms.

He explained that as part of the initiative, more than 12,000 customs officers of different cadres had been trained at home and abroad on trends in the sector since he assumed office in 2009.

“So actually we found ourselves in a situation whereby the officers were really abandoned, so we had to go back to the drawing board and intensify the training and retraining of officers on this aspect; that is the classification, evaluation and assessment, actually that is the greater part of revenue leakages.

“Towards the end of 2011, we trained almost 12,889 out of our 17,000 workforce so you can see that majority of the officers have gone on training.

“So actually that was what gave birth to the improvement in revenue collection and the attitudinal change of the officers.’’

Dikko told newsmen that revenue accruable to government had been lost in the past due to leakages occasioned by inefficiency in the system and low morale of officers and men of the service.

He acknowledged that officers were not adequately motivated prior to his assumption of office in 2009 and added that the new agenda was aimed at enhancing a better motivated workforce that would help the service to achieve its objectives.

He said that a greater part of his six-point agenda had been addressed and that the management was in the process of reviewing the agenda for greater efficiency and performance.

Dikko, who said he was proud of presiding over a service of well-motivated officers, told newsmen that the service was destined for better service delivery for the development of the country.

On the capacity of the service to effectively police the country’s borders, Dikko said that NCS did not have the personnel to police all the borders to fully check activities of smugglers.

On meeting the training needs of officers within the country, Dikko said that its newly upgraded college for middle and high level officers was designed to give its officers relevant training in areas of ICT and other aspects of the service responsibilities.

He said that the college’s curriculum was designed to offer training in the direction of the World Customs Organisation and that the college was affiliated to a university in Europe.

The comptroller-general who acknowledged the existence of fraudulent officers in the system, said that the NCS was prepared to purge itself of negative influence in its bid to revolutionise the service.

He told newsmen that the attitude and orientation was gradually changed towards greater performance and transparency in its operations at the ports and the borders.

Dikko assured that the service was better positioned to offer same services that could be found in other parts of the world.

News

HoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The Head of Service (HoS) of Rivers State, Dr. Mrs. Inyingi S. I. Brown, has commended Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, for approving befitting accommodation for Permanent Secretaries in the state.

This commendation was contained in a press release made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

According to the Head of Service, Governor Fubara has continued to demonstrate uncommon commitment to the welfare of civil servants in Rivers State, stressing that such gestures underscore his people-oriented leadership style. She urged civil servants across the state to remain supportive of the governor’s administration in order to sustain good governance and effective public service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of the Body of Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Brown congratulated Governor Fubara on the occasion of his 51st birthday, describing him as “a Governor who leads by serving.”

She further praised the governor’s service-driven and people-centred leadership approach, noting that it has significantly contributed to institutional stability and improved efficiency within the state’s public service. Special appreciation was expressed for the approval of a befitting accommodation complex for Permanent Secretaries, which she said reflects the governor’s commitment to staff welfare and enhanced productivity.

As part of activities to mark the governor’s birthday, the Body of Permanent Secretaries announced the sponsorship of 329 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for indigent students across the state.

A breakdown of the initiative shows that 319 forms will be distributed across the 319 political wards in Rivers State, while five forms are allocated to non-indigenes and five forms to persons living with disabilities.

Interested applicants are advised to contact the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, for further details.

The Body of Permanent Secretaries wished Governor Fubara continued good health, divine wisdom, and greater accomplishments in his service to the people of Rivers State.

By John Bibor

News

Allegation of Disrespect to President Tinubu Unfounded — Rivers Government

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to a statement credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), purportedly authored by one Bestman Innocent Amadi, alleging that the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, removed the official portrait of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from the Government House, Port Harcourt.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Government wishes to categorically state that there is no policy, directive, or intention on the part of the government or the Governor that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government.

On the contrary, the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, currently enjoys a robust, cordial, and collaborative relationship with the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Renewed Hope Agenda—a partnership that is already yielding positive and tangible benefits for the people of Rivers State.

Consequently, the insinuation that the Governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” is misleading, irresponsible, inflammatory, and entirely unsupported by verifiable facts, and should therefore be disregarded by the public.

It is regrettable that a body expected to promote youth unity, peace, and responsible engagement would resort to incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated claims capable of overheating the polity at a time when Rivers State requires calm, dialogue, and mature leadership.

The Rivers State Government therefore calls on well-meaning members of the public, particularly its esteemed and hardworking youths, to disregard and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups bent on advancing divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.

Rivers State belongs to all of us. Political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, peace, and the collective pursuit of progress.

Members of the public are further urged to remain vigilant and avoid lending credence to inflammatory statements or the activities of fifth columnists pursuing dubious agendas aimed at sowing discord.

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News

Rivers Government Dismisses Allegations of Disrespect to President Tinubu

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has dismissed as unfounded and misleading allegations that Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara removed the official portrait of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the Government House in Port Harcourt.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state government reacted to claims credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), describing the allegation as false, irresponsible, and unsupported by any verifiable facts.

The government clarified that it has no policy, directive, or intention that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government. It emphasized that Governor Fubara maintains a cordial, respectful, and collaborative relationship with President Tinubu and the Federal Government.

According to the statement, the relationship between Rivers State and the Federal Government has grown stronger under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with tangible benefits and positive impacts already being felt by residents of the state.

The Rivers State Government described insinuations that the governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” as deliberately provocative, noting that such claims are capable of misleading the public and unnecessarily heating up the polity.

It further expressed concern that an organization expected to promote youth unity and peace would engage in what it termed incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated accusations at a time when the state requires calm, dialogue, and responsible leadership.

The government called on well-meaning members of the public, especially the youths of Rivers State, to disregard the claims and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups spreading divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.

Reaffirming its commitment to peace, unity, and progress, the state government stressed that political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, and the collective interest of the people.

Members of the public were also urged to remain vigilant and not give attention to inflammatory statements or individuals described as fifth columnists bent on causing division within the state.