By Okey IBEKE
On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide, led his committee to the Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on an oversight visit. While addressing the officers, he hinted that the House was planning an amendment of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 in order to ensure a four-year statutory tenure for the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC).
Hon. Abejide said the tenure of the CGC would have been stipulated in the law when it was promulgated, but for the legal adviser of the House who opposed it on the grounds that the civil service rule supersedes it.
Alluding to how such an amendment has been working in the Nigeria Police Force, he regretted that the House could not do the right thing when the occasion presented itself because of the legal adviser’s advice. He gave the assurance that the House is ready to implement the amendment now.
As a matter of fact, the House Committee deserves commendation for this introspection and recognition of the disadvantage of keeping the tenure of CGC tied to the Civil Service rules. The House deserves commendation for promptly recognizing the damage this omission will cause for the Service now and in the future as well as the economy of the nation, should the Act and the government continue to remain silent on CGC’s tenure.
It should be noted that President Tinubu inherited a totally dysfunctional Nigeria Customs Service that was for eight years headed by a retired army colonel, Hameed Ali. Ali was drafted out of retirement by former President Muhamadu Buhari, after more than 16 years in retirement, to head a highly technical organization like Customs.
The eight years the retired army colonel held sway in Customs took heavy toll on the technical skills, managerial and operational capabilities of the Customs. The Service became militarized as a serving army officer, one Colonel Buhari, brought to the Service as Principal Staff Officer by Ali, took over headship and control of key operations.
So, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on board, the Nigeria Customs Service was in dire need of a competent leader, a true professional to effectively drive and lead changes that would make immediate impact on the execution of the President’s economic policies.
