Customs CG, Adeniyi Charges Heads of Agencies to Priorities Welfare of Maritime Journalists

—Takes Shot At Unification of Maritime Journalists, Freight Forwarding Associations

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has called on heads of other maritime parastatals to prioritize the welfare of journalists covering the sector, adding that as the sector is prospering and the players are advancing, efforts should be made to better the lives of journalists covering the sector.

Adeniyi stated this at the Airport hotel in Lagos on Thursday when he was awarded the Iconic Maritime Personality of the Year 2024.
This is even as he has kicked against the proliferation of beat associations in maritime media practice, as well as multiple associations in the clearing and forwarding business.

Speaking, Adeniyi said “We must put priorities on the welfare of maritime journalists. If all the entrepreneurs in the industry are prospering, if they are getting bigger in their business, some of them started as portfolio customs agents, they’re becoming bigger and bigger, and we are supporting them.

“I rose from two-star public relations officer, and I became a CGC, and you are supporting me. I also believe that your welfare should be a concern of all the agencies that you report.

“There is a lot that we can do for you in customs, and we will try to do some. There is also a lot more that you can do by yourself. You must now begin to see how you can come up with initiatives that will help to drive your welfare programs.

“It is true that you organize programs for agencies in the industry, I have not seen programs that you are organizing for yourselves. Let’s work on initiatives about your welfare. Can we think, for example, of an insurance cover for journalists? This is something that you can start.

“This is one thing that I believe that I can speak to other heads of agencies in the maritime industries for us to join hands with you and look into the issue of your welfare, only if you come together as a united front.

“While maritime reporters are reporting the beat, they should also be house owners by themselves. This should not be a big thing if journalists in the maritime sector come together with a scheme that will allow them to own individual houses. And it is not rocket science. The federal mortgage banks are doing it. There are lots of companies that are doing it.
So it is just for you to come together, establish a scheme, call for seed money that we can use to start it, and we can take it up from there” he said

Adeniyi described his Iconic Award as vdry symbolic because this is the very first time in the history of the maritime industry that this is happening, that all the maritime journalists formed a united front to award a single stakeholder.

Adeniyi further admonished the journalists saying that “You guys will make a better impact if you are able to collapse all of these associations into one.

“It means that we could have something that could serve as a rally point, a unifying factor for all of these associations who never see any issue on the same point. It is indeed a very humbling experience for me. and it tells me that if we actually get it right, if it is the interest of the maritime industry that we want to protect, it means it is still not too late for all of us to begin to work together as a very strong unit.

“If we come together, I am not sure there is any piece within any game that will be as strong, that will be as protected, that will be as impactful as this maritime journalism that we have”

Speaking on the freight forwarding practisioners, the Customs CGC described their story as akin to that of maritime journalists.
He urged the freight forwarders and licensed customs agents to find a common front to come under one umbrella in order to gain respect of policy makers.
“The story of customs agents follows that of the maritime journalists associations.
When we started, we knew them as only one. They were only one umbrella. And I think the journalists have shown that it’s actually not impossible for us to also begin to identify rally points, identify points that can bring all our associations together under one umbrella.

“This is one challenge which I believe the provost general, Prince Olayiwola Shittu can undertake, working alongside with Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju, to make sure that periodically bringing these associations together, identify common points that you can see, that you can use to speak with one voice in the maritime industry.

“There is so much discordance in the industry. And it’s not helping policy makers. Policy makers want to respect you when they see that there is a united voice from the industry” he said

The award night for the CGC was graced by maritime industry bigwigs including Prince Olayiwola Shittu, the former national president of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) the current National Vice President of the Association, Prince Segun Oduntan, National President of Africa Association Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, former President of NAGAFF, Dr Eugene Nweke and President of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) Chief Remi Ogungbemi among others.

The event was also attended by Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Zone A, ACG Charles Orbih, all customs Area Controllers, terminal operators, as well as retired customs ACG Charles Edike.