Confusion In Customs As Newly Retired Officers Stay Put

There are indications that the newly retired officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are still in the service of the agency following the absence of a board that should rectify and approve their retirement.

Sources at the agency told Vanguard that the retired officers still come to work but not in their uniform.The same reason has also been given for the newly promoted officers, who cannot take over their offices as there is no board to rectify the promotions.

It was gathered that the officers cannot leave the system because in the Customs And Excise Management Act (CEMA), the Comptroller-General of Customs does have the powers to retire or promote certain level of officers without recourse to the board.

While the retirees cannot leave their offices, the newly promoted officers cannot take over.

Meanwhile, the service spokesman, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, has denied the development, saying the new management of the Customs service has been inaugurated. He said at the inauguration, all the newly promoted officers were in attendance.

He said: “This cannot be true. The new management was inaugurated Wednesday with all the acting new Deputy Comptrollers-General of Customs, (DCGs) and Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) zonal coordinators in attendance.”