CSR: Adeniyi Expresses Customs’ Readiness to Give Back to Orphans, Vulnerable

•NCS is Nigeria’s economic life-wire, says Olubadan

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan and Fidelis David in Akure

The Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, yesterday, expressed the readiness of the agency to bring succour to orphans and vulnerable persons across facilities in the country as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Comptroller General who stated this while inspecting Dorian Home, an orphanage located in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said the inspection was necessary so that the formation would periodically be able to assist the facility and others in taking care of children resident in the homes.

The Customs boss disclosed that as part of responsibilities of NCS, materials and items for the upkeep of children in orphanage homes were supplied.

He declared that judging by the facilities put in place by the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dorian Home, Dr. Lola Bayode, the operator was passionate about the welfare of the children.

His words: “We are an agency of the government and our mandate is basically to work around and generate revenue for the country. We do not generate this revenue in a ghost city, we operate within society, communities and border areas within state commands.

“When we do this, we also feel that we have a responsibility to the community that helps us generate that kind of revenue.

“So, we want to remain a very committed and patriotic agency of government. This is why we find it necessary for us to seek out organisations like this (Dorian Home) that are responsible for taking care of the community that we serve and forge partnership with such organisations.

In doing so, we also learn from the experiences we have had in the past.

“In the past, when we tried to extend hands of fellowship to places like this, we either had situations where some of those things might be diverted and end up in the wrong hands, or some of them might also end up in the markets and then be sold.

“So, this time in our review strategy, we want to identify these organisations. We want to be sure they have the proper structure to drive what they are doing. Then we also want to see passion and their commitment towards it,”he stressed.

According to Adeniyi, “My assessment visit has shown that all those three elements are present in Dorian Home. In all such other organisations where we see those elements present, we would be extending our hands of assistance and partnership with them.

“We have seen that this place has capacity for almost a thousand kids, so they need to feed them, clothe them, provide them with medicines and things like that.

“So, in any of these areas, periodically, we would be looking at our stores and sending off those kinds of items that could assist them in achieving the objectives for which these kinds of homes are set up,” he added.

Reacting, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dorian Home, Dr. Lola Bayode, explained that the facility does not only focus on shelter, feeding and clothing of children, but also takes care of the education of children in order for them to achieve their dreams despite their challenges.

Bayode, represented by the General Manager of Dorian Home, Mr. Niyi Ogunleye, said the Home has been focusing on its mission statement of “providing decent shelter and cater for the welfare of the vulnerable, including children, widows, elderly and youths and those ravaged by wars and communal clashes.”

Meanwhile, the NCS has been described as the life wire of the country’s economy and an agency to be proud of in terms of acknowledged efficiency globally.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, made the remark, yesterday, while playing host to Adeniyi and top management staff of the NCS at his Alarere, Ibadan residence.

The monarch in a statement by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, noted that the contributions of the agency to the economic well-being of the country could not be overemphasised and charged the Customs boss to not only maintain the standard but to improve on it.

Balogun, who spoke through the Ajiroba of Ibadanland, Chief Soji Adejumo, disclosed that aside the contributions of the agency to the economy, “the NCS is also a source of pride to us in the country as it ranks among the best globally in terms of efficiency and professionalism.”

“We urge the new ACG to remain focused and committed to the mandate of the agency of sustaining our economy the way it has been doing and improve on the existing template of revenue generation towards making a remarkable impact during his tenure as we pray for the guidance of Almighty God to uphold you in the onerous task”, Oba Balogun added.

The Customs Comptroller General, in his remarks, while describing himself as an Ibadan man, said the Olubadan was the first monarch to be visited in his working visit to show his recognition and the importance attached to the Ibadan stool, stressing that all the activities in the agency revolve around the community and the importance of the traditional ruler in that regard is a crucial factor.

According to him, “All what we are doing in the agency are community-based and there’s no way we can take such critical stakeholder for granted. I’m here in the palace to seek for royal blessings in recognition of our traditional rulers as the custodians of our culture and traditions.

“We acknowledge Your Majesty’s support, understanding and cooperation over the years and I covet same to take the agency farther in height of performance, professionalism and efficiency.”

At the gathering which had in attendance the Ekerin Olubadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade, Olori Olufunmilayo and other notable people, Adeniyi added that the operations of the agency in the South -Western part of the country are the biggest, calling for the citizenry’s support and cooperation to remain atop among the other zones in the country.