By PRISCA SAM DURU

The achievements of the Comptroller-General of the Customs (C-G-C), Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi has been documented in a compelling new book.

The book titled, Witness To A Revolution: The Nigeria Customs Service Under the Leadership of Inde Dikko Abdullahi, is a commendable effort at documenting the achievements of the CGC who has been hailed as an unprecedented performer, in the last five years at the helms of Nigeria’s second highest revenue generating agency.

Written by an Assistant Comptroller of Customs (AC) Musa Omale, a lawyer and personal aid to the CGC, the 304-page book captures in a detailed analysis, the strides taken by the current CGC to ensure a radical turn-around in the operations and productivity of the Customs right from his time as an Area Controller at the Seme Borders, prior to his appointment as CGC. The author, Omale, overall, succeeds in this book of words, statistics, colourful pictures and analysis, in portraying Dikko as a man on a clear mission to change and whose continuing legacies are held up before the mirrors of History in this well-written, well-illustrated and well-timed book on an industrious and visionary Nigerian.

Abdullahi was appointed as CGC by the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on August 18, 2009. On resumption, he flagged off a Six-Point Agenda as the road map for his intended reform agenda. In five years, his administration has taken the agency to unprecedented level. Among the many accomplishments documented include a 100 percent salary increment and capacity building programs extended to all levels of officers and men across and beyond Nigeria as part of human capital development and motivation program.

Added to that is an aggressive infrastructural development which saw the building of new barracks, rehabilitation/upgrade of old ones, construction of office buildings, printing press, hospitals, schools among others across the country in addition to the magnificent Regional Training Academy in Gwagwalada, Abuja. Besides the purchase of a jet to ease Customs operations, the revenue profile of the Customs also shot to an unprecedented high, with the agency raking in a record N100 Billion at a point as against N30 Billion which was the highest in past administrations. His supplying of the officers and men of the Customs with hundreds of vehicles, arms and equipments, heightened awareness of importers, and community-based programs in border communities also helped in reducing incidences of smuggling and arresting leakages and corruption as well as conscientious efforts at revamping the image of the agency.

His women empowerment program via the Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA) was also touched. These strides among others, earned Dikko as he is popularly called, two National Awards namely the MFR, OFR and CFR by both Yar’Dua and the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government respectively. The Nigeria Customs also, in a historic accomplishment, hosted the 66th session of the World Customs Organisation (WCO)’s Policy Meeting in Nigeria in 2011.

The 54 year-old, Bulgarian-trained economist who is known to enthusiastically encourage scholarship also vigorously pursued the E-Customs project in ensuring fast clearance of goods and the general Customs and Exercise procedure so as to meet up with global standards. Under him the Customs also entered bilateral agreements with Customs bodies of several countries.

Besides highlighting the CGC’s strides, areas of the 43-chapter book also dwells on an intellectual dissection of relevant subjects such as smuggling, money laundry, economic terrorism, revenue generation, 48-hour clearance among others. A few officers also contributed few other related topics under the ‘Other Informed Articles’ section.

Describing the book as a priceless material, Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Hon. Sabo Nakudu, recommended it to officers of the Customs, students of the Customs systems, and just about everyone interested in studying the dynamics of leadership.