Nigeria Customs Zone ‘C’ Bids Glorious Farewell To ACG Chibuoke, Five Comptrollers
Nigeria Customs Zone ‘C’ Bids Glorious Farewell To ACG Chibuoke, Five Comptrollers
…Celebrates Decades of Meritorious Service, Charges Retirees to Remain Worthy Ambassadors_
By Success Okezie
It was a day of honour, emotion and celebration of legacy as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘C’, Port Harcourt, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, staged a grand and colourful send-forth ceremony in honour of its retiring Zonal Coordinator and five distinguished Comptrollers who bowed out of active service after decades of meritorious service to the nation.
The prestigious ceremony, held at the Zonal Headquarters, Port Harcourt, was filled with pomp and pageantry as serving officers, sister security agencies, captains of industry, critical stakeholders and members of the maritime media gathered in large numbers to celebrate the illustrious careers of the retiring officers.
The celebrated retirees are: the Zonal Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) P.C. Chibuoke; Comptroller B.A. Balogun, Federal Operations Unit, Zone C (FOUC); Comptroller Blessing Iheanacho, Imo/Abia Command; Comptroller J. Kanu, Edo/Delta Command; Comptroller O.M. Omisore, Post Clearance Audit (PCA), Zone ‘C’; and Comptroller F.A. Bodunde, Enugu/Anambra Command.
They retired honourably after successfully completing their statutory years of service, having served the nation with integrity, discipline, professionalism and unwavering loyalty.
In her welcome address, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Area 1 Command, Port Harcourt, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku, Ph.D, expressed profound appreciation for the massive turnout of distinguished guests and stakeholders, describing their presence as a testament to the cordial relationship, mutual respect and synergy between the Service and its stakeholders.
According to her, the occasion was far beyond a routine send-forth, but a celebration of distinguished careers, sacrifice and institutional legacies.
“I sincerely appreciate our distinguished guests, sister agencies, stakeholders and well-wishers who have taken time out of their busy schedules to honour this invitation. Your presence today is more than a send-forth. We celebrate distinguished careers, recognize valuable contributions and appreciate men who dedicated significant years of their lives to the service of our nation,” she said.
Comptroller Atuluku paid a glowing tribute to the lead celebrant, ACG Pascal Chibuoke, describing his tenure as Zonal Coordinator as impactful, purposeful and exemplary.
“We particularly celebrate ACG retired Pascal Chibuoke for his immense contribution to the Nigeria Customs Service, especially during his tenure as Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’. His leadership was marked by experience, a high sense of responsibility and commitment to duty. His ability to provide direction, engage colleagues and work harmoniously with stakeholders remains part of the invaluable experience and knowledge he leaves behind,” she noted.
She equally eulogized the five retiring Comptrollers for their selfless service, discipline and leadership which helped sustain the operational efficiency and integrity of the Zone.
“To our esteemed retirees, you have completed your years of active service honourably. Your contributions and the memories of your service will continue to speak for you. You have earned the opportunity to enjoy the next chapter of your lives with pride and fulfilment,” she added.
In his valedictory speech, the chief celebrant, ACG Pascal C. Chibuoke (Rtd), expressed deep gratitude to Almighty God for His grace, protection and wisdom throughout his journey in the Service.
He also expressed profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, dsm, fnipr, psc (+), the management of the Service, his colleagues, officers and men for their cooperation, support and comradeship.
“Today, I stand before you with a heart full of gratitude to Almighty God for the grace, strength, and wisdom to serve our great nation through the Nigeria Customs Service. My journey in the Service has been a memorable one, filled with challenges, lessons, achievements, and valuable relationships. I sincerely appreciate the Comptroller-General of Customs, management, my colleagues, and all officers and men for their support, cooperation, and encouragement throughout my career and the opportunity to serve,” he said.
“As I bow out of active service, I do so with pride and satisfaction, trusting that the officers coming behind us will continue to uphold the values of discipline, integrity, professionalism, and dedication to duty,” ACG Chibuoke added.
Delivering the goodwill message on behalf of the Zone, Comptroller Grace Edebeatu described the event as a celebration of professionalism, dedication and selfless service to the nation.
“Today is more than a farewell; it is a celebration of lives devoted to duty, a tribute to excellence, and an honour bestowed upon legacies that time cannot erase. Your years of service have gone beyond the enforcement of customs laws and the protection of our nation’s borders. You have helped shape institutions, mentored officers, strengthened professional relationships and demonstrated that true leadership is measured not merely by the offices we occupy, but by the positive impact we leave behind,” she stated.
“Distinguished celebrants, you may be retiring from the uniform of active service, but you will never retire from the honour of having served your nation. Your footprints remain on the sands of our institutional history, and your legacy will continue to inspire excellence, integrity and dedication,” she emphasized.
She reminded serving officers that retirement is not the end of relevance, but the beginning of a new chapter where experience becomes wisdom and achievement becomes inspiration for the next generation.
The colourful event also featured goodwill messages from stakeholders, presentation of awards and plaques to the retirees in recognition of their outstanding service and contributions to nation-building.
Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were Deputy Comptrollers from Calabar Command, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Dr. Nkiru Nwala, PhD, and representatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, led by Assistant Comptroller M.A. Haruna.
The Zonal Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs A.H. Dzungwene, expressed delight over the success of the event and urged stakeholders and the media to continue to showcase the positive contributions and transformative reforms of the Service under the current leadership.
In her closing remarks, Deputy Comptroller Chinwe Onyeso expressed joy over the huge success of the ceremony, congratulated the retirees on their successful careers and charged them to remain worthy ambassadors of the Nigeria Customs Service in their future endeavours.
She also thanked officers and men of the Service and critical stakeholders whose unwavering support made the historic send-forth a resounding success
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