In a bid to strengthen bilateral trade relationships in the border communities, the Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), CGC Adewale Adeniyi, has called for collective responsibility on the part of government agencies and all stakeholders for improved national security.
He promised to rationalize the multiple checkpoints along the border communities and boost bilateral trade and good diplomatic relationships between border communities.
While addressing stakeholders during a working visit to the Seme-Krake Border Command of the NCS on Friday, CGC Adeniyi noted that national Security is the responsibility of everyone and should not be left in the hands of government agencies alone.
The customs helmsman informed that the Service is working together with other government agencies bearing in mind their peculiarities to ratrationalize the multiple checkpoints inhibiting free trade and movement of legitimate goods at the border posts.
He noted that the service has taken the first shot in this particular direction by announcing last week that the CGC Strike Force team has been disbanded.
Speaking further, the Comptroller General of Customs noted that there are numerous trade and economic benefits for Nigeria within the ECOWAS socio-economic.
He however noted that the Service in collaboration with their foreign counterparts will work on improving and developing better bilateral trade relations driven by technology.
Adeniyi added that the service seeks to achieve these through the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
While appreciating the traditional rulers and residents of the border communities for their warm reception, CGC Adeniyi sought their unflinchinghing support to all government agencies by desisting from illegal and illegitimate businesses, and, most importantly, providing credible information and intelligence on illegal activities in and around the border post to appropriate government security agencies.
In his words: “We are working with other security agencies to see how we can rationalize  checkpoints. I also want to challenge you that National Security is not the responsibility of government agencies alone. This is the difference between us and our counterparts in West Africa.
“National Security is the business of every citizen. As you make life easier for business, I want to charge you to make life and work of the Security agencies easier.
“The criminals who bring drugs, arms, and amammunitions are  around us. What we can do to help our national Security is to help us with credible information and intelligence to catch these criminals.
They are our enemies they don’t mean good for us.

By; Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos