BY JAIYEOLA ANDREWS, Gombe
Deputy governor of Gombe State, Dr. Daniel Manassah Jatau has expressed deep sadness over the death of former Comptroller General of Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), Abdullahi Dikko Inde.
Jatau who also retired from NCS before becoming the deputy governor, said Inde’s death came to him as a rude shock, adding that they had an excellent working relationship together at NCS.
The deputy governor said: “His (Inde) emergence as CG, NCS witnessed a great transformation amid strong leadership that impacted on the Custom administration of Nigeria, the Custom of the West and Central Africa region of the World Custom Organisation and the entire World Custom Organisation.
“In Nigeria, his determination, zeal, courage in the course of the pursuit of his 7-points agenda, a lot was achieved.”
He stressed that the late Custom boss, was instrumental to the improvement of the regional meeting from 5 members countries to 22 countries, out of the 23 attending countries in the region.
Eulogizing Late Inde’s virtues, Jatau said: “He was among the first set of CEOs of a parastatal that came on air to release custom officers/staffs that were found wanting and dismissed from the service, telling the world what their offences were. This was to alert members of the public from dealing with such people.
“When he identified some drug addicts in the service, he organised a rehabilitation programme and even produced official staff buses to convey them to where they were to be treated.”
While saying death is inevitable for all, the deputy governor also noted that Inde has played his positive part and has gone to be with his creator.
He prayed that may God grant those he left behind, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.