‘Customs Will Facilitate Trade On The Eastern Corridor’, Comptroller Jaja Assures Traders

The new Controller, Eastern Marine Command,  Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller AB, Jaja, has said he would collaborate with legitimate traders on the Eastern Maritime corridor and facilitate their trade.

He gave the assurance while fielding questions from newsmen on the sidelines of his taking over the leadership of the Customs Eastern Marine Command in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, on Wednesday.

Prime Business Africa reports that Comptroller AB Jaja took over the Command from AGC CC Dim who was promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller General and redeployed to Abuja.

On the policy thrust of his administration, Jaja said he would leverage the already established policies of his predecessor and improve on them.

“(ACG)  CC Dim has done incredibly well, it is always good to leverage on foundations laid by a good man or the person you’re talking over from.”

According to him, “ACG Dim , during his stay here, brought innovations  both in administration and operations. I will leverage on that and make sure we sustain the gains. “We are not here to stop anybody from doing his legitimate business but to enhance trade and foster collaboration with stakeholders”

 He insisted, “My mandate is not to stop anybody from his legitimate business but to facilitate trade, generate revenue, collaborate and fight Smuggling”, Jaja added.

“We have to keep our borders safe, particularly the Riverine so that people can do their legitimate business. We will also protect the government infrastructures, and we will collaborate with other sister agencies to do that,”  he emphasized.

On the ‘Work Life Balance’ initiative  of his predecessor, Comptroller Jaja promised to sustain it, noting that “Health is wealth.”

He reiterated the importance of being healthy, especially at the work place. “You have to be healthy for your brain to work optimally. The Work Life Balance initiative will be sustained and collaboration is key,” he said.

“We can’t do it alone, we will improve on it and ask people to come and exercise and stay healthy.”

Jaja, however, said he would, subsequent to the approval of  the Customs management, establish a Customs Marine Unit at Bonny for effective coverage of the riverine areas.

Comptroller AB Jaja, who described himself as a Prince of  the Niger Delta, expressed gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and his management team for finding him worthy of the elevation. He vowed to contribute his own quota to  the upliftment of the Nigeria Customs Service in particular and Nigeria in general. He, therefore,  charged his officers and men to remain punctual, accountable and disciplined.

Earlier in his speech, ACG CC Dim had expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation he enjoyed during his stay at  the Command.

He urged the officers and men of the command to extend such gesture to the new controller.

He,  therefore, extended his unreserved gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs for his leadership and magnanimity, insisting his policy thrust had ensured a rebranded Nigeria Customs Service.