Uncommon transformation : Compt Jaiyeoba hands over Apapa Command with loudest ovation

Uncommon transformation : Compt Jaiyeoba hands over Apapa Command with loudest ovation
…Hits N672.172bn from January to April 2024.

It was a celebration of significant achievements, uncommon transformation, exemplary leadership, excellent performance, hard work and resilience,  as Compt Jide Jaiyeoba handed over Apapa Customs Command to Compt Babatunde Olomu with the loudest ovation.

It was indeed a special occasion with spotlight on unprecedented revenue records, as senior officers, sister agencies, stakeholders and media practitioners who graced the ceremony all applauded Compt Jaiyeoba for his outstanding performance, describing him as exemplary team leader and a silent achiever.

The change of baton, which took place yesterday, Monday, May 6, 2024,
was certainly a special moment that will remain indelible in the history of Apapa Customs formation. The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of Apapa Command, CSC Abubakar Usman, the Master of ceremony, began the introduction by showering encomiums on Compt Jaiyeoba. The PRO described his former boss as epitome of hard work, a role model and mentor, who impacted positively on officers and men of the Command.

The words of the PRO : “In Sept 2023, he came into office and has spent almost eight months on the saddle of Apapa the premier port.
Today is a day we are going to celebrate his significant achievements.

“Under the watch of Compt Jaiyeoba, the Command recorded a revenue collection milestone of over N16billion in a single day.

“It is noteworthy to mention that in April 2024 alone, the Command generated N182 billion, which is a record-breaking monthly collection in the history of the service. Over 1Ntrillion generated last years by Apapa was still under his leadership. He came, saw, conquered and raised the standards”.

On his part, Compt Jaiyeoba thanked CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, for considering him worthy to sit atop Apapa Command, the Premier port as the Area Controller.

He attributed his successes to team work, stakeholders collaboration, saying, “Today, we can say this is where God has brought us. We jointly worked with collaborative interest to make Apapa port user friendly, without compromising National security.

“We tirelessly pursued trade facilitation to increase revenue collection for government and efficient service delivery for our stakeholders. Aside the revenue target given to us from headquarters, we decided to set our own target in-house to ensure greater commitment to statutory duties.

“We appreciate the contributions of T&T, Valuation unit, Customs Intelligence Unit, Post Clearance Audit, special unit from headquarters, revenue committee, including the scanning officers and other departments for the successes we recorded within that period.

“These feats were made possible through the cooperation and high compliance level of our stakeholders. I commend our officers for their hard work and dedication that contributed to these achievements.

“The Command is in good hands. The new Area Controller taking over from me is a brother, I implore all our officers and stakeholders to give him maximum cooperation. The success of Apapa Customs Command is our common benefit. Compt Babatunde Olomu is a team player and result oriented officer.”

Also speaking, Alhaji Kazim Isa of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents,
thanked the CAC for exceptional performance, diligence and competence in driving the wheel of excellence in Apapa Command.

He commended: “You have done well. You ensured the terminal operators carried out their duty effectively. You are a silent achiever. You have succeeded. Another stakeholder described Compt Jaiyeoba as a gentleman, whose humility and professionalism are exemplified.

In his remarks, Compt Olomu extolled the virtues of his predecessor, promising to raise the tempo of operations not only in revenue collection but anti-smuggling drive to ensure that only legitimate trades thrive in the Premier port.

He said with the confidence reposed on him by the CGC, he has no option than to deliver.

The high point of the occasion was the handing over of the flag, the symbol of authority of the Command.

In reality, the handing over ceremony has come and gone, but the good memories of that epoch making event will linger for a long time on the minds of participants, even as the programme coincided with the 60th birthday of Compt Jaiyeoba, as shown on the photograph below :