Customs Decries Despicable Working Environment for Personnel 

*Launches work-life initiative to improve health of officers across commands

 James Emejo and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The acting Comptroller-General of Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Bashir Adeniyi, has decried the despicable environments its personnel across commands carried out their daily duties, lamenting that such do not promote good health.
Speaking while flagging off a 5-kilometre work-life balance initiative in Abuja, he said the service was witnessing an increase in the reported cases of avoidable diseases as a result.

Adeniyi, said Customs personnel come under pressure to fulfil various obligations, often mentally demanding, and physically exhausting.
As a result, he said the service has established 32 clinics and medical centres across the country to cater to the health needs of its personnel.
Speaking shortly after the 5km walk from its Wuse Zone 3 office to the newly inaugurated Maitama corporate headquarters, over the weekend, Adeniyi said, “Our officers all over the country work in environments that do not promote good health. Those living in big cities are forced to acquire lifestyles where their commitment is overwhelmingly skewed in favour of work and at the expense of their well-being.”

He noted that the implication of imbalance was shown in the preponderance of many reported cases of medical conditions among its workforce.
He said, “We are witnessing an increase in the reported cases of avoidable diseases like low blood sugar, high pressure, weight control and obesity. As a tradition, we subject all officers who participated in the training through a test at the beginning, middle and end of the month programme. There is a need for deliberate effort to improve the health condition of our officers through their lifestyle.”

Adeniyi, pointed out that the decision was reached after an analysis of recent data by officers who reported for a five-month training at the Service’s Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
He explained that over the period of their training, it was discovered that over 50 per cent of the officers return to the college with conditions of high blood pressure, 60 per cent of them with diabetics, 40 per cent with obesity, and other weight-related programmes.
He stressed that by the end of their training when they go through these lifestyle changes and exercises to improve their health, they recorded a positive improvement to the tune of over 50 per cent in all our courses.

He added, “While this has proven to be effective, a more sustainable approach lies in our effort to promote a healthy work-life balance among our officers.”
He encouraged the officers to continue to engage themselves in extra exercises such as jogging, mountain hiking, dancing and all other curricular activities while also urging them to embrace the work-life balance as it will continue to improve their health and also contribute to enhancing the efficiency of the Service.

The acting CGC also mentioned that the exercise will facilitate the unity and love between Customs officers across the federation, stressing that “participating in this brisk walking exercise fosters friendship and unity and sense of shared purpose amongst us.”
The brisk walking exercise was attended by Deputy Comptroller-Generals of Customs in charge of different Units, Assistant Comptroller-Generals, and all Comptrollers down to Assistant of Customs III.

Other participants who graced the ‘Walk-Life Balance’ exercise were from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Nigerian Correctional Center, Immigration Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Nigeria Army.