M.A Umar : Customs Officer With Zero Tolerance To Corruption -By Adamu Yelwa Gabi

Over the years, Goverment via the policy makers had came up with different Manifestos, Agendas or blueprints in recording some landmark achievements especially in generating internally generated revenue not only through the coastal or inland terminals but on the land boarders and protecting lives and properties of the citizens, all in the name of boosting the Nigeria’s socio economic status so as to rid the country from dancing on the countour lines.

The Military regime of Gen.Sani Abacha that constructed Gwarimpa Housing Estate,Abuja to overcome the Housing deficits faced by Nigerians in making the low income earners benefit from affordable accomodation under the then FG Housing scheme programme of the Kano born Head Of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces Federal Republic Of Nigeria also initiated what was called the vision 2020 under the chairmanship of Nigeria’s first interim president chief Earnest Shonekan as an example of strategic policy driven military regime plus etablishing the Petroleum Trust Fund then headed by Muhammadu Buhari whose resources were used in providing essential drugs to our health facilities and even rehabilitation of minor road projects across the thirty six states of the federation amongst others.

Though, he, Abacha, had wanted to dump his khaki to enjoy another civilian administration while in power for democracy to come to stay in Nigeria,the move he tagged “TAZARCE” but to no avail as Man proposes at the same time God disposes by blowing the final trumpet in bringing an end to his life on the 8th June,1998 through alledged food poisoning.I doff my cap for Gen.Abacha’s super international intelligent military officer and his Chief Security Officer Major.Hamza Al-Mustapha who would have inherited the seat of the Head Of State been the last man standing and first to know about the demise but pretended and acted very sharp to do the needful, putting aside his personal interest by clearing a way for a person that can follow all the rudiments and the roadmap of his oga (in military parlance) Gen.Abdulsallami Alhaji Abubakar to take over without any rancour who eventually peacefully handed over to an uninterrupted democratically elected Government the country is still witnessing since 29th May,1999.

The truth is that no Government can meet up to expectation no matter how transparent and prudent it claimed to be even with the introduction of TSA without getting capable,Godfearing and trusted hands in fareing bid well to corruption by blocking revenue leakages and employing other strategies in realizing the set target to avoid diversion of public funds.A factor that prompted the attention of Mr.President in appointing a person with the same principle as he is and former kaduna state military administrator Col.Hameed Ali (rtd) from Bauchi State as the Comptroller General of the Customs,Making the service to be the highest revenue generating Agency ever had more than the petroluem down stream sector.

The history of Bauchi state civil service will not be complete without sounding the name of an astute adminisrator Late Abubakar Umar Walin Bauchi,the State first Head of Civil Service after the creation of Bauchi State from the former North East regional states of Borno Gongola and Bauchi in 1976 who had transformed the entire state civil service system right from infant stage to a greater height.

Yes,the adage that says a fawn will naturally ran as fast as its mother deer, is absolutely true as the newly deployed Comptroller Kano/Jigawa Area command of the Nigeria Customs Service M.A Umar popularly known as SHAM’UNU equally from Bauchi State and a decendent of the Walin Bauchi’s family had followed the footsteps of his Ancestor, the Late Abubakar Umar of blessed memory by denying all opportunities to illegally enrich himself with monies supposed to be in the Government coffers for enhanced revenue generation.

The command which shares boarder with neighbouring Niger Republic where smuggling of banned foreign food items like rice,spaghetti,macaroni and second hand clothing materials were excessively and illegally imported to the country amidst tight security challenges to

improve the use of locally Agricultural farm produce and paving way for exportation to other countries,thus increasing the producers/manufacturers income which Nigeria’s farmers are still jubilating with their thirty two teeth open.

Upon assuming office not long ago,M.A Umar first swang in to action by reinvigorating the enforcement unit of the service to suppresse smuggling activities in the two states as he had vowed to enlighten the public on his determination to follow due process on importation of their goods with a view to distancing themselves from facing the full wrath of the law as he was equally quoted to have said the command will not rest on it oars in ensuring smuggling is reduced to the bearest minimum.

On a purported alleged corruption charges by some of his officers and men with in the Kano/Jigawa customs Area Command; SHAM’UNU was said to have promised sanitizing his Area of jurisdiction by applying a tactical way to disguise for an unschedule inspection visit to see for himself how things are happening with a view to forging ahead for improved optimum service delivery.

So far, Umar had made possible the seizure of many products and in there numbers that were prohibited from getting access in to the country to include: donkey skin,powdered milk,foreign soap and matches,rubber shoes and many more worth Billions of naira in the first quarter of 2022.

As a writer, before allowing my ink to dry i think it is pertinent to drop my piece of advice to all the smugllers within the axis by saying to be fore warned is to be fore armed as it will no longer be business as usual having deployed a customs officer with a vast experience and ideology of no piety no mercy to your route of offending the country that was tested and trusted.

May we live to continue to celebrate another breed from the Walin Bauchi’s family on the hierrachy of the Nigerian Customs Service because honesty and integrity are his watchword.

Gabi, a Journalist, wrote from Bauchi and could be reached on:adamumgabi@gmail.com