Work-Life Balance: TCIP, PTML Customs Commands Hold Joint Weekly Fitness Exercise
Work-Life Balance: TCIP, PTML Customs Commands Hold Joint Weekly Fitness Exercise
…Officers Engage In Intense Yoga Session To Boost Physical, Mental Wellness.
By Success Okezie
In a demonstration of renewed commitment to the health and well-being of its personnel, officers and men of the Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) Command and the Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on Thursday evening held a joint physical fitness exercise aimed at promoting a healthy body and sound mind.
The joint exercise, which is a culmination of the Work-Life Balance Initiative of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR, kicked off last Thursday and has now been institutionalized as a weekly routine.
Officers from both Commands, as well as stakeholders, turned out in large numbers for the gruelling but invigorating session which lasted about an hour.
The exercise commenced with conventional aerobics and physical fitness routines, but the highlight of the day was the intense yoga session which featured different postures, stretching, and slow but physically demanding movements designed to improve flexibility, balance, and mental alertness.
After the main fitness session, participants unwinded with recreational sports including badminton, table tennis and football, further fostering camaraderie and team spirit.
Speaking shortly after the exercise, the Public Relations Officer of the TCIP Command, Chief Superintendent of Customs Oscar Ivara, said the initiative was deliberate and strategic.
“The purpose of this activity is to ensure that officers engage in regular physical exercises that contribute to a healthy body and mind. We know that our core mandates are to facilitate trade, protect the national economy and generate revenue, but these can only be effectively carried out if officers are healthy. A healthy officer is a healthy Service,” Ivara stated.
Also speaking, the Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Administration at the TCIP Command, DC Azikiwe Ejidoh, who spoke on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joseph Anani, who was called to duty before the end of the exercise, said the initiative was about building a resilient workforce.
“The essence of this exercise is to build a healthy and strong workforce that will give the Service the needed results in terms of our core mandates for Nigeria. We had it last Thursday and it is a weekly exercise, but today, we decided to have a joint session with our sister Command, the PTML Command. This is to continue to strengthen our relationship as we are one Customs. There is a saying that health is wealth, so everyone should participate,” he said.
On his part, the Acting Customs Area Controller of the PTML Command, Deputy Comptroller Nura Ibrahim Miko, said the joint session underscored the spirit of cooperation within the Service.
“In line with the Work-Life Balance Initiative of the CGC and in the spirit of cooperative engagements, the two sister Commands decided to have this joint physical exercise session, bringing in yoga as part of the exercise. The routine exercise continues every Thursday and it is open to everybody. We invite everyone to join in this healthy activity as we all want healthier and stronger citizens,” he said.
The Work-Life Balance Initiative of the Comptroller-General has continued to gain traction across Commands of the Nigeria Customs Service, with different Commands choosing specific days of the week for fitness activities. Observers who spoke at the event expressed optimism that the initiative would not only enhance officers’ productivity but also help entrench a culture of fitness and wellness in the larger Nigerian society
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