The Zonal Coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone A, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, (ACG), Kathleen Ekekezie has urged newly promoted officers in the zones to work diligently to justify their promotions.

She disclosed this recently while decorating108 senior officers of the Zones with different ranks at the zonal headquarters in Lagos.

According to her, 13 officers were promoted from Deputy Controller of Customs to Controllers, while 45 officers were promoted from Assistant controller to Deputy Controllers and 50 Assistant controllers also promoted from chief superintendent of Customs.

ACG Ezekezie said that promotion has given the officers higher responsibilities to deliver by carrying out their work diligently, as their positions have changed.

According to her, it is the thought of management to make officers happy in their welfare and the promotion is part of it. She said when officers work hard either by discharging their duties, there is always a reward at the end of the day.

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She said: “Before now, some of us will not be here, the newly promoted officers, will fill in the gap. So don’t just look at it as ordinary promotion, look at it that, you are stepping up in terms of responsibility because you don’t know where this tide of elevation will carry you next.

“I want to start with the Assistant Comptroller, the other ranks, you will see that many officers will be decorated at command level. The reason you are called to the zonal headquarters is to show that something different has happened to you. Your rank has changed and you are now in Comptroller cadre.”

She said there is a demarcation between Assistant Comptroller and the rank of Chief Superintendent and the job order has changed, saying the AC will now become releasing officer and that is more responsibility.

She stated further, “From the Chief Superintendent down, there will be examination and they will come to you. You must do due diligence, do not just release because they said this is what they found. You must go extra miles that make you a leader. You are now heading a group, which means management and leadership has started and this how we start.

“You must take that extra miles to look at examination reports and then go into the system and check what you are seeing on the declaration, the bill of laden and Pre Arrival Assesment Report (PAAR) if they tally with the examination reports, then you don’t have any problems. Even if the container goes out and those on the roads catches it, eventually, it will come down to those who did examination because you have done diligence.”