Maritime Journalists Hail Customs CG as Iconic Personality

Maritime Journalists Hail Customs CG as Iconic Personality

By Prince Benson Davies

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service will receive the coveted ‘Iconic Maritime Personality of the Year’ award, courtesy of the Nigeria Maritime Journalists, in recognition of his remarkable impact on the nation’s maritime industry.

In a show of appreciation and recognition for his outstanding leadership and transformative impact on the maritime industry, the Nigerian maritime media practitioners have unanimously agreed to honor the Comptroller-General of Customs, led by the different beat associations and others covering the maritime industry

These include the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), League of Maritime Editors (LOME), Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN), Online Maritime Media Association of Nigeria (OMMAN), and Congress of Maritime Media Practitioners (CONMMEP).

They believe that CG Adeniyi has registered sterling and excellent performance since he assumed office as the Customs CGC.

According to a nomination letter sent to the CGC by the Secretary, of the Award Planning Committee, Mr. Innocent Orok, “there is no gain; you have redeemed and repositioned the service in all areas. These include revenue collection, anti-smuggling activities, trade facilitation, national security, staff welfare, inter-agency collaboration, infrastructural upgrading, information and communication technology, and corporate social responsibility.

“It is also incontestable that your record-breaking performance has attracted national and international laurels to you, the Service, and Nigeria as a whole. Unarguably, it is partly for these reasons that the Leadership Newspaper Group recently honoured you with the Public Service Personality of the Year award.

“We, the maritime journalists, comprising both print, electronic, and online media covering the beat, are happy to be part of this history-making with you as partners in progress.

“In appreciation of your superlative performance and, by extension, your unrelenting support to the media, especially the maritime media, we nominate you as the ICONIC MARITIME PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR.”

On his part, the Chairman of the Award Planning Committee, Dele Aderibegbe, explained that “the award is coming at no better time than during the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is looking for focused and dedicated leaders to take the Nigerian economy out of the woods.

According to him, “This honour is very symbolic. First, this is the first time in the maritime sub-sector that all the journalists covering the beat will come together to honour a deserving performer of excellence who has made the Customs and Nigeria proud with his purposeful, professional, and patriotic leadership.

“Secondly, the Nigeria Customs Service under Adewale Adeniyi has been reconnected to international frontiers and leading in revenue collection, anti-smuggling activities, trade facilitation, ICT, modernisation, and inter-agency collaboration, among others.

“This honour by maritime journalists is also to set an agenda for other agencies of government and their appointees that the ever-vibrant and dogged maritime media are watching them.

“We are inviting special guests, especially other agencies’ heads and maritime stakeholders, to come and witness this great event, which is the first of its kind in the Nigerian maritime industry.”

The award ceremony is coming up on Thursday, 16th January 2025, at the Apapa Port Customs Command Auditorium, at 12noon prompt.