Tension In Nigeria Customs As New CG, Hameed Ali Set To Investigate Top Officers

Top hierarchy of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are now jittery over impending job cuts in line with the Federal Government's resolve to reform the establishment for higher revenue generation.

This was as industry watchers believe President Muhammadu Buhari's preference for an outsider to head the Customs was to allow a neutral person to clean the paramilitary agency seen by many as a cesspit of corruption in Nigeria.

The new Comptroller General of the NCS, Hameed Ali, while addressing top officers of the service in Abuja last week reminded them of his presidential mandate to restructure, reform and increase revenue generation while he holds sway at the service.

Though his address sounded like that of any new head of government establishment, analysts viewed his body language on "reform" in the Customs as a pseudo word for mass sack going by precedence.

A new report says as part of measures to carry out Buhari's directive, the CG of Customs had demanded files of top officers of the service.

Investigations showed that the President specifically posted Ali to the NCS because of its poor image on corruption.

It was gathered that Buhari took his anti-graft war to the Customs also because of the dwindling revenues from oil which is the country's major source of income.

It was gathered that a mass purge was imminent in the Customs as part of efforts to carry out the President's directive.

Investigations showed that fear had gripped men and officers of the service, who had been feeding fat on government revenues.

It was reliably gathered on Friday that the new Comptroller-General had started scrutinising files of top officers of the service and petitions written against some employees.

Investigations revealed that any Customs officers with queries pertaining to proven cases of corruption in his file would be shown the way out.

It was learnt that Ali, in implementing this mandate, was determined to shore up revenues accruable to the Federal Government.

Investigations showed that the new Customs boss would also work on petitions written by members of the public against some officers.

Some of the petitions, it was gathered, dealt with illegal sales of seized goods by officers of the service.

It was also gathered that the new comptroller general would look into violations of rules and regulations on clearance of goods as well as false declarations and misapplication of tariffs.

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