Asu Beks Backs Customs CG Adeniyi for Tenure Extension, Says “No Vacancy in Customs House”

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Elder Asu Beks, the convener of the Maritime Elders’ Forum and Chief Executive Officer of Maritime Media Limited, has thrown his considerable weight behind the call for an extension of the tenure of Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

In a recent interview with Sunday Sun, Beks, a doyen of maritime journalism in Nigeria, lauded Adeniyi’s performance, asserting that his removal would jeopardize ongoing reforms within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Beks, whose career in the maritime sector spans decades, dating back to his pioneering days as shipping editor at Concord Newspapers, expressed unwavering confidence in CG Adeniyi’s leadership.

“You see, I’ve covered the maritime sector from my days in Concord, as a pioneer shipping editor in the Concord Newspapers. So I’ve been in this sector for a very long time, and I can tell you that I am yet to see a Comptroller-General of Customs that will match the commitment of Adewale Adeniyi,” Beks stated emphatically.

While acknowledging the commendable efforts of past Customs CGs, including the late Abdulahi Inde Dikko, Beks highlighted the transformative impact of Adeniyi’s tenure.

“Yes, we had a Dikko who died a couple of years ago. Dikko was from Katsina State. He did wonderfully well but ‘what Adeniyi has done in terms of reforms, in terms of capacity building, in terms of stakeholders’ engagement, in terms of anti-smuggling, in terms of trade facilitation, in terms of revenue generation, whatever bad perception people had about Nigeria Customs Service before now, has changed because of his style of leadership’,” he explained.

The controversy surrounding Adeniyi’s continued stay stems from the new Customs Act, which reportedly limits the CG to a single tenure. However, Asu Beks believes President Bola Tinubu, known for his pragmatic approach, would prioritize continuity given Adeniyi’s track record.

“The Tinubu that I know is not somebody who will want to change a winning team and if he can do that for the Inspector General of Police, there’s no reason he can’t do the same thing for the Customs CG,” Beks argued.

He further pointed out the precedent set by the Inspector General of Police’s tenure extension, which was secured through the National Assembly.

“In the case of the Inspector General of Police, he went to the National Assembly and got that extension. It was not a presidential fiat, was it? So, there’s no reason why he won’t do the same thing because Adeniyi has done so well.”

Beks underscored the potential negative consequences of a change in leadership at this critical juncture for the NCS. “This is because ‘if you remove Adeniyi today, we don’t know who is going to come. The person will rubbish all the good works that Adeniyi has done’,” he cautioned.

Drawing a parallel to the broader political landscape, Beks noted the sentiment within the ruling party. “In fact, that is why if you look at the average APC man today, they want Tinubu to continue beyond 2027 because as far as they are concerned, Tinubu is doing very well and if you now go and bring another person, he may destroy what they think are the good works of Mr President. And that is why the party endorsed him, saying there is no vacancy.”

“So, as far as I, Asu Beks, the convener of Maritime Elders’ Forum, is concerned, there is no vacancy in the Customs House.” he concluded