It was glitz and glamour today at the passing out parade ceremony of of more than 350 cadets of the Customs Training college, Ikeja, as the Customs top hierarchy charged them to make all the moral and professional lessons learnt their cornerstone.
The event, in line with agency collaboration, attracted the creme de la cream of the military and para- military.
Deputy Comptroller General Saidu Galadima who represented the Comptroller General of the Service said the service would continue to commit resources towards Training and capacity building.
He expressed confidence that the new cadets will bridge the gap as well as inject youthful men and women who can combine theory and practice in the ever changing world of technology.
In his address, the Commandant of the customs Training college, Deputy Comptroller H.H Hadison said the aspiration of the management has remained to build a well-trained, eflicient, and very effective system to serve as a reference point for generations to come. The training of our Cadets has been in line with the objective of ourm anagement team for capacity building.
Course 1/2023 basic training commenced on 22 Mar 23 with 382 Cadets drawn from all the states of the federation. In the course of the training, these Cadets were taught different skills and courses such as the 21″ Century Customs, Service Correspondences, Passenger Selection, Bond and Warehousing, French
,Scanning, Investigation and Inspection, Rules of Origin, Valuation, Excise,
Commercial Fraud, Post-Clearance Audit, Parcel Post, International Conventions, Customs and Excise Management Act, Information and Communication technology, Nigeria integrated customs information system, disruptive Technology, Free Trade Zone, Enforcement, Principles of Inteligence, Customs Administration, Classification, Import and Export Procedures, Inter- Agency Cooperation and Risk Management.
This moulding process is meant to introduce the Cadets to areas covering
all the aspects of our professional history, government practice, regimental
structure, and proficiency in modern practices. They have also been trained on
Foot Drills, Weapon Management Handling / Maintenance, Weapon Drills, Range Classification and Parade.
It is befitting to specially note that in the course of the training, guest lecturers were invited from the Military, Para-Military and Law firms to deliver and share their vast wealth of experiences to the Cadets. This is to enable the Cadets tap from the bastion of knowledge, equip them with moral and professional values and as well, prepare them physically and mentally especially on inter-agency collaborations for successful service delivery.
I am very optimistic that we at the College have imparted into the outgoing
Cadets the adequate wing and roots that will drive and sustain them in their
various endeavours. They have been furnished with moral ethical and professional values which have the prospects of translating into discipline,
honesty, patience, loyalty, integrity, and dedication to duty.
Distinguished guest, ladies, and gentlemen, may I use this opportunity to commend the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service and his management team for their endless effort in providing the necessary logistics, enabling environment for quality training to thrive and the funds required for the entire period of the training especialy amid funding constraints. Also, we sincerely appreciate the trust reposed in us and our ability to deliver on the job.
May l also pay due compliments to our Strategic Mentorship lecturers who
contributed immensely in steering the College to this position of pride and honour
in the persons of DCG TRADOC, DCG HRD, DCG FATS, DCG EI&I, DCG
SR&P, DCG EXCISE, FTZ & INDUSTRIAL INCENTIVES, DCG T&T. My
very special thanks go to our guest lecturers who in their very tight schedules
made out time to speak with the Cadets in their respective fields of specialization.
Notably are; CACs Tincan, Apapa, Ogun 1, Seme, KLT, LILYPOND, PTML, FTZ, PCA, Ag. Controller Ogun 2 and Ag. Controller FOU Zone A.
We can never forget the enormous contributions of the ACG Immigration
Service Zone A headquarters, the Commander Nigerian Army Military
Cantonment 9 Brigade Ikeja, the Zonal Commander EFCC Lagos Command. The
Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner 1CPC Lagos state and Chief Rotimi
Williams Chambers Lagos.
The entire training process would not have been possible and successful
without the impeccable efforts of our entire team of qualified and competent
resource persons drawn from all Customs formations in the country, all academic
staff of the CTC, Drill Instructors, Canteen staff, Webb Fontaine, the College
Medical Unit as well as other Oficers/Men serving in the College. 1I want to
uterly express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all ofyou for your selfless
service.
For the graduating Cadets, today marks the end of your rigorous traininga
representation of the tremendous hard work, high standard of discipline and
rigorous training you have imbibed.
In your career ahead, the nation demands 100% loyalty, exemplary conduct, high professionalism, discipline, and absolute dedication to duty. I have no doubt that the high quality in the College, and the beginning of your career as Officers in the Nigeria Customs service. The methodical parade that we have just witnessed is training you have received here has equipped you sufficiently to contribute to the progress and development of your chosen career wherever you are deployed.
According to matin Luther King jnr.” our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.” The challenges we were confronted with, were not insurmountable. We started with facilities that were not adequate but with the continuous support from the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service and his management team, we were able to record steady progress in our activities. Amongst other achievements, the quarter guard was restructured while the main gate of the training College had a facelift.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, let mee also thank the families and friends of the passing out Cadets, your prayers, love, and emotional support, have facilitated their commitment and focus throughout the duration of their training.
I would also like to passionately appeal with the management of the NCS to
continue with their good work and effort to transform the College environment
into a formidable frontline facility for training and staff development.
Finally, I wish to immensely thank you all for honouring our invitation and
making yourselves present in this occasion. As you retire to your various
destinations, may God grant you journey mercies. Thank you all and God bless
you.