In what can be considered a symbolic gesture of respect and commitment to fostering positive relationships, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, visited the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero at his Palace in Kano.
During the meeting, Adeniyi, who stressed the importance of strengthening the bond between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Kano Community, reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to collaboration and mutual understanding.
Expressing his readiness to facilitate trade in the state, the Customs helmsman pledged to implement policies aimed at streamlining business processes and engaging with stakeholders, disclosing that the Service has made arrangements to implement measures to alleviate the current challenge of food scarcity and hardship in Kano by distributing food items to people of the state.
Addressing the Emir and members of the Emirate Council, Adeniyi said: “We are here in Kano for two reasons: First, as we approach the season of Ramadan, it is good for us to come around and extend our felicitations to the Emir and join him in prayers that Almighty God will make this month a blessed and glorious one for us and our country.”
He told the Emir that his other reason for visiting Kano was to check on his officers to supervise how they carry out their duties in and around Kano, noting: “We cannot embark on these assignments without starting from here. The country is currently undergoing a security crisis regarding the sorry state of food shortages, and as a responsible agency, the Nigeria Customs Service is saddled with the responsibility to come up with solutions to such challenges in the country.”
He stressed that he would soon urge members of his management team to brainstorm on how the Service would assist the Federal Government in achieving food sufficiency in the country, saying: “The Federal Government had given a matching order to the Service to mitigate the challenges. The Service will start distributing seized food items to the residents of Kano State It had already kick-started the programme in Lagos and other parts of the country as directed by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.”
In the area of collaboration, the CGC seized the opportunity to ensure the Emir of his readiness to partner with the Emirates Council, especially in terms of guidance and support, adding: “The Service respects the royal institution as custodians of culture.”
He also recalled how the Service enjoyed positive partnership and support from the citizens of Kano for over three decades; thus, the Management Team of the Nigeria Customs Service deemed it necessary to visit the king.
Adeniyi who pledged to strengthen his support and partnership with the Kano Emirate, considering the vast operations that the Service has in the state, however, noted: “The biggest airport in Northern Nigeria is in Kano, we have a dry Port and many other facilities.”
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Responding, Bayero, who welcomed the Comptroller-General of Customs and his entourage to Kano State, congratulated him on his appointment as the CGC.
He expressed delight over the plans to start distributing food items to Kano citizens amid the hardship and hunger that most ordinary people face in the country, urging the CGC to ensure that the gesture reaches the most affected people.
He also narrated how he recently received the First Lady and wife of the President, Senator Remi Bola Tinubu, at his Palace, where he urged her to remind the president of the current daunting times and hardships faced by Nigerians.
According to the Emir, the CGC’s response by taking measures to alleviate the suffering in Kano and other regions across the country has spoken volumes to the level of responsiveness of the President Tinubu-led administration.
He said the measure of distributing the food items to the citizens of Kano had served as a strong response to his call to the president through his wife, Remi Bola Tinubu.
Stressing the significance of dialogue and cooperation, the Emir highlighted the potential for shared prosperity through effective partnerships between government agencies and traditional authorities.
“As Nigeria continues to navigate economic challenges and opportunities, initiatives such as this serve as a testament to the power of collaboration in driving sustainable development and fostering prosperity at the grassroots level,” he stated.
The Emir also assured the NCS of his Palace’s unwavering support in all ramifications, especially that which will yield positive results for Kano and Nigeria at large.
