By Adeyinka Adeniran
The resolve of the new management of the Oyo/Osun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service to maintain good and peaceful relationship with the people of the two states in the Area Command was on Tuesday commended by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, who charged the new head of the Command to walk his talk.
Oba Balogun gave this commendation while reacting to the remark by the new Area Controller of the Command, Dr. Ben Oramalugo, who led top echelon of the Command on a courtesy visit on the monarch and during which he said he was fulfilling the mandate given to him by the Ag. Controller-General (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) when being posted to the Command.
Olubadan, in a statement through his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola recalled the ugly incident about a year ago when some men of the Command went on a raid of shops in Bodija market in the dead of the night, during which tons of bags of rice were carted away, a situation that ran some of the affected traders bankrupt.
Oba Balogun said he was elated by the promise made by the new Area Controller to work peacefully with the people of the Command, noting, “I cherish peace and preach it all the time which is why I’m fascinated by this resolve of the Command to ensure that peace reigns in the Command during his tenure”.
He assured the Controller of his support and understanding at all times, asking him not to hesitate to call on him at any point in time with a promise that his doors would always be opened to him or any of his subordinates. “I urge you to please walk your talk and I can assure you that I’m always available for you”.
The Area Controller in his presentation expressed excitement on his posting to Ibadan, a place described as very rich in history and as long as Nigerian history, stressing that anybody that fails to respect Ibadan does so at his own risk. He remarked that the choice of Oba Balogun, a scholar and a patriot as the current Olubadan was not a mistake and counted it a treasured privilege for him to meet with him face to face.
He reiterated the core mandate of the agency, which includes trade facilitation through which there would be reduction in poverty, to raise revenue for the country, a mandate he said even sustained the country during the colonial era and anti-smuggling activities which he disclosed had assumed a very strategic position among other activities of the NCS.
While elaborating on the anti-smuggling in the Command, the Controller disclosed that the influx of illicit drug had been fearful, adding, “the future of the country is at stake going by the level of consumption of hard drugs by our youths. The last statistics revealed that forty percent of our youths are on drugs. With such a report, what’s the future of our country?
“But, I want to assure Your Imperial Majesty of the Command’s readiness to tackle the problem headlong. I can tell you that the fight against inflow of drug is a familiar terrain as I made a lot of seizures in Kebbi State while there. I did so well that I got an award from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“I’m ready to repeat the feat here. A new Sheriff is in town. I will make Oyo and Osun safer and I’m happy to meet with a hero, an enigma whom I want to identify with as a father, leader and a co-scholar to achieve my mission for the Command”, the Controller added.
