The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi Area Command has announced a revenue generation of Seventeen Billion Naira (N17B) from January to date as Comptroller Comfort Ukpanah took over the leadership of the Command.
The outgoing Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller AM Adegbite, who announced this at the handover ceremony showered encomiums on officers and men of the Command for their support during his tour of duty and called on them to redouble their support to the new Controller who he described as a core professional and highly disciplined officer.
In her response, the new CAC, Ukpanah appreciated the outgoing Controller for his leadership qualities which resulted in the achievements recorded. She also commended the appointment of the Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, describing it as well deserved.
While addressing other senior officers in the Command, Ukpanah enumerated her agenda towards changing the paradigm for better efficiency, charging officers/men of the Command to gear up for the task ahead – a task of transforming the Command through her core cardinal programmes.
The cardinal programmes according to him, will centre on; Discipline/Code of Conduct, Revenue Collection, Facilitation of legitimate trade Inter-Agency Collaboration and synergy as well as Stakeholder Engagement.
She charged all senior officers to redouble their effort in all areas of the Commands operation to enable it meet and surpass its revenue target. The CAC drew their attention to the key performance indicator (KPI) which is revenue and charged officers to ensure that areas of revenue leakages are identified and blocked especially now that the federal government relies so much on Customs for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
The new Controller also spoke on the need for training and retraining to enable officers be at par with latest operational developments in the service especially in the areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT), in view of the imminent full automation of Customs processes and procedures.
For posterity sake, she also spoke on the need for senior officers to mentor the junior ones in line with the theme of the last World Customs day.
Ukpanah hails from Mbio-Oku Ikot odung, Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. She had her early education at the Government Primary School Atu in Calabar, Cross River State.
Then proceeded to Immaculate Conception Girls Secondary School Itak, Ikono, Akwa-Ibom State, where she represented the school at the National Secondary School Science Quiz in 1982 at Lagos, winning several awards and medals.
A graduate of Chemistry from the University of Calabar, Comptroller Comfort Senas Ukpanah had her national Youth Service Corps with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) refinery at Ekpan, Warri, Delta State in 1984.
She enlisted into Nigeria Customs Service as a cadet officer in 1990 and had her basic training at the Nigeria Customs Service Training College, Ikeja 1991. Comptroller Comfort Senas Ukpanah has served at various Commands including but not limited to Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, Federal Capital Territory Command, Tariff and Trade Department, Murtala Mohammed Airport Command and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command.
Ukpanah rose through the ranks and became a full Comptroller in 2022 and was posted to the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone ‘A’ Headquarters as Comptroller Special Duties, an assignment with a schedule directly under the office of ACG/Zonal Cordinator from where she was redeployed to Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi Area Command as CAC.
It is instructive to note that Comptroller Comfort Ukpanah has always demonstrated enough capacity and panache in her tour of duty, especially on the core areas of Customs Operations.
An expert in Valuation/Classification, Ukpanah has attended various professional courses both within and outside the country such includes World Customs Organisation organised courses, Risk Management, Cargo Profiling, Leadership, Corporate Governance, Modernisation among others.
A highly diligent and dependable officer full of decorum and courtesy, Ukpanah is reputed as an epitome of professionalism and discipline, a feat she has demonstrated in all the formations she has served.
A very amiable and highly cerebral officer and woman of virtue. Her hobbies includes traveling and cooking.
She is happily married and blessed with wonderful children who have started making waves early in their careers.