Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has inaugurated and handed over a renovated primary healthcare facility to the Ebubu community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The facility, which had fallen into disrepair, was rehabilitated and equipped by the Port Harcourt Area II Command under the Customs Care Initiative of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.
Speaking at the inauguration, Adeniyi said the project demonstrated the service’s commitment to contributing to the development and wellbeing of communities where it operates.
He said: “Our core mandates remain clear. We collect revenue for national development, we facilitate legitimate trade and we protect our borders from threats to national security and economic well-being.
“However, we also recognise that an effective and responsible institution must understand the environment in which it operates and contribute positively to the communities around it. And this is why Customs Care is important.”
According to him, the initiative provides a platform for the service to respond to community needs, complement government development efforts and support projects capable of creating sustainable social impact.
Adeniyi said the Customs Care Initiative, launched in Abuja on March 28, 2025, had supported projects in areas including healthcare, education, food security, environmental sustainability, social investment and economic empowerment.
He urged the Ebubu community to protect the facility and called on the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board to ensure its effective management.
“We also recognise that infrastructure alone cannot deliver healthcare. The sustainability of this facility will depend on effective management, adequate staffing, regular maintenance and the continued support of relevant government institutions and the community itself,” he said.
Adeniyi also urged residents to report vandalism or theft of components of the facility to security agencies.
Earlier, the Comptroller, Port Harcourt Area II Command, Aliyu Alkali, said the intervention was aimed at restoring a critical community health asset.
“The Nigeria Customs Service, therefore, saw an opportunity to simply rebuild this facility, to restore a critical community asset,” Alkali said.
He added that the facility was strategically located to serve residents of Ebubu, Ejama, Ogale and other surrounding communities.
“For expectant mothers, it represents broader access to antenatal and maternal health care. For children, it provides an opportunity for timely medical attention and preventive health care,” he said.
Alkali appealed to relevant authorities to ensure that the facility remained functional, adequately staffed and properly maintained.
In a goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Chituru Adele, represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr Tonye Lawson-Jack, thanked the NCS and assured it that the facility would be put to effective use.
The traditional ruler of Eleme, King Phillip Obele, represented by the traditional ruler of Ebubu, Emere Godwin Chinwi, also expressed appreciation to the NCS for the intervention.