Olubadan lauds Oyo Customs on peaceful relationship

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has commended the resolve of the new management of the Oyo/Osun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service to maintain good and peaceful relationship with the people of the two states in the Command.

This is just as he enjoined the new head of the management of the Oyo/Osun Area Command to walk his talk.

The monarch stated these while playing host to the new Area Controller of the Command, Dr. Ben Oramalugo, who paid him a courtesy visit, at his Alarere, Ibadan residence.

Oba Balogun in a statement by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, recalled an ugly incident of over two years ago when some men of the Command raided shops in Bodija Market, Ibadan in the dead of the night and tons of bags of rice and other food items and money were carted away during the raid, a situation which made some of the affected traders to go bankrupt.

He said he was elated by the promise made by the new Area Controller of the NCS to work peacefully with the people of the two states within the Command.

According to him, “I cherish peace and preach it all the time. This is why I am fascinated by this resolve of the Controller to ensure that peace reigns in the Command during his tenure.”

The traditional ruler then assured Oramalugo, of his support and understanding at all times.

Oba Balogun asked him not to hesitate to call on him at any point in time with a promise that his doors would always be opened to him or any of his subordinates.

“I urge you to please walk your talk and I can assure you that I am always available for you,” the traditional ruler further stated.

The Area Controller, in his remarks, expressed excitement on his posting to Ibadan, a place he described as very rich in history and as long as Nigerian history, stating that anybody that fails to respect Ibadan does so at his own risk.

He remarked that the choice of Oba Balogun, a scholar and a patriot, as the current Olubadan was not a mistake and counted it a treasured privilege for him to meet with him face-to-face.

Oramalugo, who led the top echelon of the NCS in the Command on the visit, said he was fulfilling the mandate given to him by the Ag. Controller-General (CG) of the NCS when being posted to the Command.

He restated the core mandate of the Service, including trade facilitation through which there would be reduction in poverty, to raise revenue for the country, adding that the mandate sustained the country during the colonial era and anti-smuggling activities which he disclosed had assumed a very strategic position among other activities of the NCS.

The NCS Area Controller elaborated on the anti-smuggling activities in the Command, disclosing that the influx of illicit drug had been fearful.

“The future of the country is at stake going by the level of consumption of hard drugs by our youths.The last statistics revealed that forty per cent of our youths are on drugs. With such a report, what is the future of our country?

“But, I want to assure Your Imperial Majesty of the Command’s readiness to tackle the problem headlong. I can tell you that the fight against inflow of drug is a familiar terrain as I made a lot of seizures in Kebbi State while there.

“I did so well there that I got an award from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). I am ready to repeat the feat here. A new Sheriff is in town. I will make Oyo and Osun safer.

“I am happy to meet with a hero, an enigma whom I want to identify with as a father, leader and a co-scholar to achieve my mission for the Command,” Oramalugo added.