The Ibeto Seaport and Terminals Area 5 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, January 16, 2026, held a Reputation Management Cascade training for its personnel.
The seminar was aimed at strengthening ethical standards, professional conduct, and the institutional image of the service.
A statement issued by command’s spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Tangwa, a Chief Superintendent of Customs, disclosed that this was part of the service-wide driven programme to entrench integrity, accountability, and public confidence in customs operations.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) for the command, Comptroller Usman Yahaya, described reputation as “a currency more valuable than money,” noting that “reputation like shadow follows an individual everywhere he goes.”
He said officers must consciously build their reputation with integrity and protect it with courage, as personal conduct ultimately reflects on the entire service.
Another speaker at the event, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Revenue, Mr Jacob Onele, outlined the roles and responsibilities of leadership, senior management, public relations officers and officers at the command, zonal and field levels.
Speaking on Crisis and Reputational Risk Management, the Acting Deputy Comptroller for Administration of the command, Assistant Comptroller OE Ita, cited instances where officers’ actions negatively affected the image of the agency and explained practical steps for managing such situations to prevent reputational damage and restore public confidence.
The other speakers, including the chief examiner of the command, Assistant Comptroller MS Abdullahi; the team manager of the Customs Intelligence Unit, Deputy Comptroller HA Barka; and Deputy Comptroller BA Lawson Wadike, also aired their views on the topic of discussion, with the training providing an opportunity to a question-and-answer segment.
The participants commended the initiative and acknowledged its positive impact on their understanding of what reputation management is all about as officers noted that a single act of misconduct could stain the uniform of a thousand honest others reinforcing the lesson that reputation management begins with individual accountability.