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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Eleme, Rumuadolor and other
‎host communities of the area of operation of Starzs Investments Co Ltd (SICL), Monday, expressed delight that the company’s Skills Acquisition programme would positively change communities’ lives in the long run.
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‎The week-long 40th anniversary celebration activities continued on Monday in Port Harcourt with the Managing Director, Iroghama Ogbeifun formally flagging off a Special Skills Acquisition and Maritime Education programme, beginning with scholarship to 40 beneficiaries.
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‎At the Monday segment, the  SICL boss  stressed that the beneficiaries of the scheme must cut across both the males and females gender from the four host communities because her organisation is gender-sensitive.
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‎Four out of the 40 slots are granted to both the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron and the Charkin Maritime School, two tertiary maritime institutions, two slots each; while the remaining 36 slots would provide relevant vocational training.
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‎”We must see our nation advance, with a mindset that every aspect of the society is represented”, the Starzs CEO stressed, adding that if the representatives of the communities could not come up with qualified girl-children in mind, she would personally go the extra mile, to ensure it.
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Engr Greg Ogbeifun, Chairman, Starz Group

‎”If you are picking a pool of 40 people, and you are not able to find 2, 3, 4, 10, 15 females, then we have done an injustice. We have done such an abomination”, she pointed out, highlighting that the organization is trying to give back to the society, a replica of what the Chairman and founder, Engr. Greg Utonwem Ogbeifun enjoyed and ultimately changed his life for good.
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‎”Our chairman is a product of such programs. He was trained by Shell on scholarship”, Iroghama Ogbeifun said.
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‎Speaking on the theme: ‘Transforming Lives, 40 Years On’, the Managing Director said the initial idea of providing leverages and privileges to top class cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, had failed to factor-in the youths of their hosts community, hence the need for the additional measures.
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‎The courses and skills which were Electrical Instrumentation, Welding and Fabrication, and HVAC, which is Air Conditioning and Systems were deliberately chosen to ensure that beneficiaries would not only become highly marketable, but in fact, a sought- after.
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‎”So we’re going to be training 40 people in these three areas of specialization. These 40 people will be drawn from the four communities”, the CEO said, launching it in the presence of the institution that will be carrying out their training.
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‎”So it’s my pleasure to officially announce the award for the commencement of training. And this award will take effect immediately, once all the necessary processes are in place.
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‎She explained that even the choice of the skills for acquisition were deliberately made to ensure that beneficiaries would not remain the same again, either by being able to further run in their career paths, or become somebody commercially, and relevantly desired, immediately.
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‎She recalled that a similar skill / course actually enabled the Chairman the opportunity to chart a career path, even before he actually became an engineer, and then went on to work internationally before he became an engineer, over 40 years ago.
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‎”So for me, I’m very proud to start with human capacity development. And this is the first time that I’m really doing a strong skills acquisition. So it’s actually like a pilot course.
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‎She thanked Emmanuel Ugwumba, a key partner and Managing Director of Diopter Technologies,  for anchoring such a mutually- beneficial skills acquisition scheme, following his background story on the core benefits of a functional organisation’s assistance to their host communities in terms of human capacity development.
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‎”I am definitely looking at a long-term partnership, between my organization and his organization. I also want to speak again about why we chose those three areas. You know, I’ve been in the industry for more than 10 years.
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‎”And I see lots of companies do skills acquisition. And it’s almost like a box-ticking exercise. Just so that the community will see that.  It doesn’t mean that if you train some people, it should be all about gathering people for one random training, without any reasonable thinking.
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‎”The question should be, when you finish the training, or acquiring the skills, then what next? To my team, I said today, we must look at our main points. And as operators within the industry, I can tell you, based on feedbacks, where the gaps are in the industry!
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‎”I’m just giving you an example so that if you have chosen to do the training, you will also keep that in mind. That there is a potential opportunity.
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‎”So, the intention is, after the training, you will tell us some sort of the start-up plan, including if beneficiaries would have starter packs or tools that they will need”, the MD stated, highlighting that whatever would be required, to guarantee high productivity or self reliance for beneficiary, after training would be considered.
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‎The company said it had done it’s survey, to identify areas that are very specialized, and where there are not so many people in business, areas where few people possessed the requisite skills.
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‎The company obviously intends to assist host communities based on insider knowledge of those operating ships, rigs and other movable and immovable assets.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer CEO, STARZS Investments Company Ltd. (SICL),  Iroghama Ogbeifun on Saturday strongly commended her father for laying  a solid faith-based foundation for the Company, stressing that the important gesture had not only paid off, it has also become a credible guiding beacon.
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‎”We’re a faith-based company. I am unapologetic about it”, Iroghama stressed. She pointed out that without such a strong and solid guiding light and principle, the management could have wavered or blended with the world along the line, particularly under market  pressure.
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‎Speaking of the Chairman, her greatest idol and unique inspiration, Iroghama Ogbeifun emphasized that she would always be guided by his principles, vision and legacies.
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‎”I’m so proud as a child to stand on your shoulders today, because your shoulders are so big and strong.
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‎”And also to stand on your name, particularly, the innovative platform that is your name!
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‎”Thank you. God bless you. I pray that you will continue just like what we just prayed.
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‎”And that I will continue to benefit from your wisdom, from your guidance and your counsel. Your counsel that is so irreplaceable”, Iroghama stated emotionally.
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‎She called attention to several pastors and men of God who proudly testified to being beneficiaries of the Company’s payment of tithes, which according to Iroghama is the one thing that has kept Starzs focused, unique and outstanding in a world that is constantly turning upside down.
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‎”At most times, when you’re in the marketplace, which is where we operate, you might feel the need to want to blend, you know, or to hide but our founder has placed us on a solid foundation. We do not apologize for being faith-based as a company.
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‎”We hold devotions every Monday. We don’t care if you’re Muslim, Atheist, Traditionalist, Herbalist; once you work at the Starzs, we let you understand that we come for Monday devotions.
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‎”We inform you of this when you come for interview. And when you join us, we again let you know that we’re not going to hide who we are. We know that we’ve come this far because of God!”, she indicated further, saying that the Company praises God as its enduring culture.
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‎The CEO acknowledged that the founder actually sowed that seed and culture and the same they intend to sustain, if anyone comes to join them.
‎This is the only thing we know: Praise God and Praise God!
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‎She stressed that her management prioritises the attitude of sacrificial giving, via honest payment of tithes.
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‎She also expressed satisfaction that though the management began tithing with about $1000, they have scaled up.
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‎”But, it has always come from a sacrificial heart. It has never been from a place of plenty. I don’t want to say how much we tithe today…. But, it is true that we also give in dollars and it is in double digits,
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‎”But we were not always giving like that. I remember when I joined  (the company)12 years ago and I saw that was the culture. But then, God is so good. God is so great”, the SICL boss noted, stressing that the initiative however, had never been in vain!
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‎”It is the one thing that was untouchable. Don’t pay salaries. But, you must pay the tithe. We pay it religiously. We don’t joke with tithing. It’s as if the Chairman is watching us.
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‎”We have also seen our tithes speak on our behalf. Even without us realizing it. It is later that we would realize that, oh my God, this tithing must go on even when I’m no longer there, say in the next 40 years!
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‎“Of course, by then, I would be over 80 years; and would sincerely be glad, being the one, passing the oil to the next successor.
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‎She thanked the multitude of churches who have benefited from the initiative for their prayers , highlighting that tithing is a testament to their obedience to divine directive.
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‎”That’s what I call it. It was an obedience to what God said to him (the founder). And we have to obey that.
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‎”I also want to thank every single member of my team- the Starzs team. I want to say thank you for your sacrifice. You know, like the Pastor said, it takes people to build an organization. To be a remarkable organization, it takes people”, she said, highlighting that the few in the huge audience, indeed represented the over 200 staff members, arduously putting in their best in the office.
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‎”So, for us here, we are just a representation of our colleagues. Some of them are on board different vessels now. Some of them are not here because we have a vessel docked”.
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‎The CEO thanked the Ministers of God, stressing that their exhortation were like ‘fresh fires’ for her, smoothly and timely rejuvenating her for the greater tasks ahead, especially the several tenders that the SICL must work on.
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‎”We are growing bigger every day. We are getting stronger. We are taking over. And there is no limitation in the mighty name of Jesus. All of us claim it in the mighty name of Jesus.
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‎Speaking earlier, the Senior Pastor of the House on Rock in Port Harcourt, Rev. Lanre Oluseye while commending the Chairman, made a glowing differentiation between a leader and a boss.
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‎”There is a difference between honor that is due and honor that is deserved. Because honor that is due and honor that is deserved are two different things.
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‎”We juxtapose them and we use them interchangeably. But I have lived long enough to realize that honor might be due and not deserved. Because honor that is due is a function of position and honor that is deserved is a function of performance.
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‎”And at times, someone is in a position who is not performing. So we honor him for the position but not because he’s performing. And at no time you can find someone who is performing who doesn’t have the position.
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‎”And so you honor them for the performance but not because of the position. But Professors across Nigeria. You have no choice.  Every time and again you come across people, very few of them, who are in positions and who are also performing. One of them is Engr. Greg Ogbeifun!
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‎”I would like you to please help me and celebrate this incredible man!”, Rev. Oluseye stressed, calling for a direct ovation, over his spirit of perseverance, dedication, commitment and discipline. He got a standing ovation.
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‎The man of God stressed that the Starzs couldn’t have gone so far without troubles.
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‎”So whilst we are thanking God for the successes, we must also be thanking God for his pain, because it is pain that makes, it is pain that shapes!
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‎”I tell people often that, you know, we celebrate our friends, but we also should celebrate our enemies more. Because our enemies have more ministry in our lives than our friends. Our friends are there to pick us up, but our enemies are the reason we left the ghetto”, he indicated, thanking the Chairman for his resilience.
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‎”When you look back, see, it is easy to hope when you can find light at the end of the tunnel; but at times, the tunnel is very long. I wonder if there is anybody here who has been in a tunnel where you can look back and all you have is hope. That somewhere, if I continue and stay the course, light will show up somewhere. You are the true survivors!”
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‎The Reverend emphasized the need to understand that the Chairman went so far because God is with him. He also admonished the huge audience, to emulate Engr. Ogbeifun, especially in his inspired view of putting God first, arguing that anyone who works so hard, while putting God first, will ultimately succeed immensely.
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‎”One of my favorite sayings in the whole Bible is, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, we would not have been struggling. I wonder if there is anybody in this room who understands that if it had not been the Lord, you would not be who you are, you would not be standing where you’re standing.
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‎”What you survived is what made you a hero. Because you see, what you survived, others did not survive. What you survived killed others.
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‎”So, if you’ve never met a miracle before, this is what a walking, talking miracle looks like. And this is the doing of the Lord”, he further explained, before buttressing  his exhortation with the story of one Shamar.
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‎”This guy, I found him very interesting, you know, because in many ways, he reminds me of many of us. And that’s one of the thoughts that I wanted to share with us today. Shamar I knew about was one of the mighty men of valour.
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‎He tells us that the Philistines, would always swoop on the Dan. And they usually will come during harvest time, when the Israelites were about to harvest their fruits. And then they will come and they will chase them away and they will reap the harvest.They will reap where they have not sown.
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‎”Let me tell you, nobody does 40 years without fighting. You know, I was telling you of someone, you know, and the Lord is just on my side.
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‎”Anyway, what I’m saying to you is this story as told of Shamar. And then they came and they chased everybody away, but the Bible tells us that Shamar stood. And he fought. And in that day, one man killed a thousand men.
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‎”And the Bible says that God brought a great victory that day. My question is, did God want Shamar to have the field? In fact, it was the field of lentils. Did God want him to have that field? The answer is yes.
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‎”But do you know that if Shamar had run away with the rest of them, he wouldn’t have that field and God would still be God. I’m clearly saying this because yes, you’ve done 40 years, but that does not mean you are still not still going to fight. But the same God who kept you in the previous fight has not changed.
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‎”Whether Shama fought or he ran, God will still have been God. So what I’m saying is your decision to stand and fight, at times is not up to God, it’s up to you. And whatever that decision is, God will back you up.
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‎”That’s why I’m glad we are doing what we are doing today. You know why? Because we don’t fight like the world fights. You know how we fight? What’s that song? First it was fragrance, then it turned to fire.
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‎”My worship is my weapon. That’s how we fight. It starts as fragrance”, the Rev. concluded, intimating the management that the coast and uncharted fields now lay ahead of them, and God is waiting for them, to do beyond whatever either the Chairman or the company had achieved in the past 40 years, telling them that in God’s mathematics, 2 times 5 can be 100!
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The month of June 2026 has become a watershed in the life of the Lagos Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as it achieved the  sum of N87,102, 845, 714.51, the highest monthly revenue collection so far in the history of the Command.
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‎The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Hauwa Abubakar, stated this in Lagos, Thursday, while rendering her the Command’s 2026 half-year report.
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‎Describing the achievement as historic, she explained that it demonstrates the Command’s growing capacity and the increasing confidence of investors and stakeholders operating within the Free Trade Zone and Lekki Deepsea Port.
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‎”Furthermore, between January and June 2026, the Command generated a total revenue of ₦ 408,869,138,497.75 (Four Hundred and Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty-nine Million, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety-Seven Naira, Seventy-Five Kobo).”
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‎”This represents an increase of ₦91,546,402,785.69k over the ₦317,322,735,712.06k collected during the corresponding period in 2025, amounting to an impressive 28.85% increase in revenue performance.
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‎CAC Hauwa attributed the unprecedented leap in revenue generation to deliberate strategies aimed at strengthening compliance, improving operational efficiency and fostering constructive engagement with all stakeholders operating within the Free Trade Zones and Lekki Port.
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‎”Our sustained stakeholder engagement programmes have continued to build mutual trust and encourage voluntary compliance with extant customs laws and regulations. Through continuous dialogue, education and collaboration, we have created an environment where legitimate trade can flourish while ensuring that government revenue is adequately protected.”
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‎She equally hailed the high level of professionalism, integrity, and unwavering commitment demonstrated by  officers and men of the LFTZ Command and expressed delight that their diligence, discipline, and dedication to duty have contributed significantly to the outstanding achievements. These have also strengthened the confidence of the trading community in the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service.
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‎”As we celebrate these milestones, I wish to express my profound appreciation to Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs for his visionary leadership and the confidence reposed in this Command. I also extend my sincere gratitude to the distinguished members of the Management Team for providing the strategic guidance that has enabled Commands across the Service to excel.”
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‎”My appreciation also goes to every officer and personnel of the Lagos Free Trade Zone Command, as well as officers from other Customs formations and units whose collaboration has enhanced our operational effectiveness. Your commitment and professionalism remain the bedrock of these remarkable achievements.
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‎She equally acknowledged the invaluable support and cooperation of all sister security and regulatory agencies operating within the Port and the Free Zones, saying that this synergy has continued to enhance security and facilitate legitimate trade in line with the Federal Government’s economic objectives.
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‎She also appreciated investors, licensed customs agents, importers, exporters and members of the business community for their cooperation and growing level of compliance.
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‎”Your partnership has been instrumental to the Command’s success and I encourage you to sustain this commendable disposition.”
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‎The CAC assured all and sundry that the Lagos Free Trade Zone Command will continue to provide an enabling environment for legitimate trade by promoting trade facilitation in accordance with global best practices. However, she harped on the need for compliance with all legitimate trade regulations.
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‎”While ensuring strict compliance with all extant laws and regulations, we remain committed to transparency, professionalism and continuous stakeholder engagement as we work collectively towards enhancing national economic growth and improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.”
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‎She pledged that as the second half of 2026 sets in, the Command is determined to consolidate on the achievements, improve service delivery and surpass her performance targets without compromising statutory responsibilities.
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‎To the media, she said: “We count on your partnership in projecting the positive image of the Nigeria Customs Service and communicating our reforms and achievements to the Nigerian public.”
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