The Ondo/Ekiti Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has appointed Patience Ita as Acting Customs Area Controller following the retirement of Queen Obazee.
The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Nzubechi Iheagwaram.
The statement said Ita officially assumed office on April 30 during a handover ceremony at the command headquarters in Akure, marking a leadership transition within the command.
In her inaugural address, Ita thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the management of the service for the confidence placed in her appointment.
She also praised her predecessor, Obazee, for what she described as a distinguished career in the Nigeria Customs Service and congratulated her on her retirement after completing her tenure at the command. Ita pledged to sustain the operational achievements recorded under the former controller by building on existing structures to ensure continuity in service delivery, revenue generation and trade facilitation.
She said her administration would align with the policy direction of the Customs leadership through stronger collaboration with government agencies and stakeholders to improve operational efficiency within the command.
The acting controller also urged officers and personnel of the command to uphold discipline, accountability and professionalism in carrying out their duties.“Leadership may change, but our commitment to national service remains constant.
“You are not to constitute non-tariff barriers to trade but facilitators of legitimate trade”, Ita said.
She urged officers to remain committed despite administrative changes while reiterating the importance of ethical conduct and adherence to the service’s core mandates.
During the handover ceremony, the outgoing controller called on officers and stakeholders to support Ita in carrying out the mandate assigned to her by the Customs leadership.
The statement said the Ondo/Ekiti Area Command under Ita’s leadership was expected to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, promote transparency and enhance trade facilitation and revenue collection efforts in line with the federal government’s economic and security objectives.