By Oluwasegun Aina
Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG) Kayode Olusemire has bowed out of service after 35 years reign without blemish. He was enlisted in the Nigeria Customs Service in 1987 as Superintendent Collector 2.
As a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Osun State, who hailed from Ikoro Ekiti in Ijero LGA, Ekiti State.
For him, anything he does is turning to gold as he is divinely favoured. His call to duty as Officer of Nigeria Customs Services was a long walk to Greatness due to his impactful footprint to the nation development.
This can only come from a trained and well groomed Ekiti man who’s a blessing to his generation.
His tremendous roadmap to the highest attained position singled him out as distinguished nation builder in his area of concentration.
The story of Nigeria Customs Service anti-smuggling operations cannot be conclusively told without mentioning Comptroller Kayode Olusemire.
Those whose business is to know believe that Olusemire is one the dreaded anti-smuggling elements, who takes on smugglers in hurricane-like approach, often with a blind fury. Regarded as an old horse, Olusemire has served in the service nationwide and in various departments and capacities.
Even though it would appear that he has cut his teeth more enforcement, Olusemire is an oracle in revenue and tariff reading, a strategist and uncommon administrator, who has a record of uncanny excellence in utilizing scarce human and material resources to achieving significant results.
His achievements as Comproller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ Owerri is second to none; the man who has recorded successive offensives against economic saboteurs in the South-South, South East region, drilling consist holes in the wall chest of funds of non compliant importers and smugglers.
Olusemire was until his recent deployment to Owerri, was Customs Area Comptroller of Kaduna/Katsina Command; where he left an indelible footprint in the matters of revenue generation and strategies, anti-smuggling and compliance.
Prior the 2019 general elections, Olusemire busted almost every strategy to smuggle in offensive security items suspected to have been imported to compromise the effectiveness of the elections.
Under his watch FOU Zone ‘C’ intercepted two trucks of military hard wares, on different occasion which includes camouflage uniforms, vests, shoes, berets etc.
Olusemire before leaving Owerri in November 2022, presided over the seizures of posh autos that have violated the customs procedure. Unapologetic, he says as long as importers and their agents elect to bring in expensive vehicles through cutting corners, so would his men continue to pick up the vehicles.
Olusemire’s voice was heard crying repeatedly for importers to get necessary information on cars they wish to buy from the Customs website or visit any customs formation nationwide; with a further message that “You can get any information on import from Customs Help Desks.”
For his dedication to duty, Kayode Olusemire became Assistant Comproller of Customs (ACG) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, where he was decorated with the Nigerian Maritime Industry Living Legends Award.
The feat is a great testimony to Ekiti State, it is well said that Kayode Olusemire is a flyer of Ekiti State Image.