Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), has vowed to reduce the number of checkpoints on the Seme-Badagry highway, this he said is part of effort to enhance trade and ease movement.
Delivering his speech during a stakeholder engagement in Seme on Monday, the Area Controller, Seme Customs Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga lamented how these multiple checkpoints have turned the international highway into a nightmare for traders and tourists.
He declared that, with the full support of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, all unauthorized checkpoints will be removed.
“Multiple checkpoints are a national embarrassment,” Adenuga stated. “We will reduce them drastically. If you have no business on that road, stay off. In all we do, let us fear God.”
He issued a stern warning to all agencies operating along the corridor, urging them to eliminate unnecessary roadblocks and align with efforts to sanitize the route.
Adenuga also announced a ban on the use of “camp boys” — non-official personnel manning checkpoints. He emphasized that Customs officers must carry out their duties personally and not delegate responsibilities to untrained individuals.
Responding to calls from local youths for employment opportunities, the Comptroller assured support for legitimate business ventures.
He however clarified that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service is strictly merit-based and conducted through an open online application process
On the stalled school project initiated by Customs, Adenuga confirmed that work would soon resume. He revealed that he had formally written to the Comptroller-General to expedite the development and called for cooperation from the border community.
Comptroller Adenuga emphasized the need for collective honesty and cooperation among stakeholders to address the challenges bedeviling the border axis.
The customs boss noted that the Benin Republic side has a more efficient system in place, which has contributed to smoother border controls.
He emphasized that Nigeria can learn from the Benin Republic’s experience and implement similar measures to improve border control and reduce corruption.
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