Army, Customs Seek To Foster Working Relationship

As part of inter agency cooperation, commanding officer 192 battalion, Owode of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Adamu Umaru Watanafa, on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on the Acting Controller of Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Victor Dimka.

While expressing appreciation for the visit, Dimka stated that there is need to constantly foster the existing working relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Army so as to reduce the friction, if any, between both organizations. He noted that there has been no interference from the Nigerian Army in ensuring that Customs perform its statutory obligation of revenue generation and suppression of smuggling. “This kind gesture of visit is just a way of telling the whole society that we are working together to make Nigeria great. We are not working at cross purposes .We are in democracy now and as such democracy should be seen to be in place, that we are all protecting Nigeria and Nigerians. The Nigeria Customs Service saddled with the responsibility of revenue generation and anti smuggling are doing their job the way it should be done without interference from the Nigeria Army saddled with the responsibility of protecting the Nigeria territories”.He added that the relationship between the duo has advanced such that the Army now give full backing to Customs to see that the excesses of smugglers are brought down to the barest minimum. Responding, Lieutenant colonel watanafa pointed out that in recent times they have never for once had clash with the customs but have been working with customs to complement their effort. Watanafa also stated that some group of individuals parading themselves as officers of the Nigerian Army and often sighted along the border road with half dressed camouflage uniform are not genuine officials of the Nigerian Army.