Group seeks appointment of a corrupt-free, IT expert as new CG of Customs

As the administration of Abdullahi Dikko Inde as the comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) gradually comes to end, group under the aegis of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an IT expert, who is corruption free to take over from the outgoing.

However, the exit of Dikko is yet to be officially confirmed by both the Service and the presidency, NAGAFF, which described the present Customs boss as a ‘Veteran of Customs Reforms in Nigeria,’ alleged that the Customs boss confided in its founder, Boniface Aniebonam of its intention to take a bow from active service.   

The group further said that the service requires someone, who can further the course of reform in Customs. “The shoe Dikko is leaving behind is quite too big in the area of revenue collection, anti-smuggling, infrastructure, welfare of officers and capacity building, information technology, innovation in risk management technique, trade facilitation and partnership in Customs operations, trade intelligence gathering and international affiliations.”

The ongoing reform and anti corruption crusade of the present administration of Customs, requires an officer of honour, integrity, knowledge, zero tolerance for corruption, IT compliant, a trade facilitator and a team player of responsible partnership in Customs operations, the group advised in a statement signed by Dipo Olayoku, head of Special Duties of NAGAFF.

According to the statement, the group, which solicited for Mr. President to extend the tenure of Dikko to August 2016 to enable the completion of the last stage of the ongoing reforms, also stated that there is an urgent need to reform and restructure the licensing regulation of the Service,

The group described licensing regulation as critical because of its inherent threats to revenue functions of the Service, even as it said that if Customs continues to license corporate bodies rather than individuals, the concept and idea of professional standards shall continue to elude Customs formalities and freight forwarding as a profession in Nigeria.