By our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, appears not to be a hurry to remove Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, who ought to have started his pre-retirement leave since December, 2024, going by the time he had joined the service in February, 1990.
This is because of his impressive performance in office over the last one year in office, described as unequalled in the history of Customs. It would be recalled that in July 2024, barely ne year in office of the Customs helmsman, the President had said that the service under Adeniyi had shown ‘’remarkable progress in revenue generation’’ that he was honoured with ‘’the Outstanding Revenue Collection ‘’, accolade at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service, NEAPS, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Described as a Strategic institution, the Nigerian President who could not hide his feelings had acknowledged that the Customs under the close watch of Adeniyi had introduced significant reforms including the Advance Ruling System, and the Authorized Economic Operator, AEO, programme, stressing that these bold policy initiatives align with global best practices.
He had stated late last November that Adeniyi led NCS, had innovatively implemented solutions that had advanced the country’s economic objectives while meeting international standards since he assumed office. The message was very clear that CGC Adeniyi is doing well and not ready to truncate the service operations.
The Lagos born Politician may have made Nigerians to understand that such reforms that had had been embarked upon by CGC Adeniyi since 2023, had not only ‘’enhanced the country’s trade facilitation drive but created a more predictable business environment’’ that was said to have supported the administration’s broader economic goals.
Even the National Assembly Committee on Customs on its part had severally praised the service under the leadership of Adeniyi, over its increased monthly revenue generations and commitment to trade facility and national security.
Nuhu Ribadu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police , IGP, and pioneer Executive Chairman, of the Economic and Financial Crimes EFCC, and now National Adviser, NSA, who had had put a close tab on the operations of the agency over the last one had on several occasions praised the workaholic Customs helmsman in enhancing security presence in the nation’s land border areas with the neighbouring Niger, Chad and Central African Republic of Cameroun, despite the activities of terrorists and bandits groups in these areas.
The Nigeria Customs boss may have taken advantage of the Nov.29, 2024, Customs Award Night at the FCT, to reel out his achievements in office which include setting up a Revenue Review Performance Recovery Team, introduction and Advanced Ruling system, which he had said was in line with the recommendations of the World Trade Organization, which has a Nigerian, Ndozi Okonjo -Iweala, a former minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration, WTO, Trade Facilitation Agreement, TFA. This is in addition to the Launch of the AEO, programme for compliant and genuine traders, with a clear focus on transitioning from existing fast track 2.0 to the AEO concept.
The incumbent Customs boss was said to have used is contacts in the federal ministry of Finance and the Presidency to obtain the Presidential approval to decongest the ports environment and improve logistics around the Lagos ports of Apapa, Tin can Island, Port Multi-services Terminal Limited, PTML, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal phases I and II, and thesouth eastern ports of Onne and Rivers port, PortHarcout, among others, which he was said to have successfully carried out in line with the 2023, Customs Management Act.
He had alluded to the successful execution of the specific strategies for accessing each of the 10 top markets in the world to the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, signed with the Customs Administration of the Asian country of China in May 2024, at the margins of the global AEO, Conference to furth strengthen the country’s resolve ‘’to facilitate trade for compliant traders’’.
Perhaps, to avoid a dislocation of the height that had been attained by the service in its operations under the Leadership of Adeniyi within the short period in period in office, as a possible replacement at this time may draw the hand of the clock backward may have informed why the League of Maritime Editors, LOME, under the Leadership of Remi Etie, had taken the bold initiative to impress it upon the National Assembly Committee on Customs to push for an ammendment of the Customs Management Act , 2023, that was said to have been signed in Law by former President Buhari, towards the tail end of his Administration in April, 2023.
The Leadership and members of LOME, who had spent between 30-40 years, reporting the nation’s maritime Beat, had said that the amendment of the Customs April 2023, Act, will ‘’pave way for reforms that would be centered on proper modernization of the service operations that is in line with global best standards and practices’’.
At present the Adeniyi led NCS, appears to be implementing these core services provided by the Chinese firm , Huwei Technologies, which had a 20 -year working agreement with the agency to which includes Unified Customs Management system, UCMS, Trade Portal, Electronic Cargo Tracking system, Enforcement system, Telecommunication system, Video Surveillance, Connectivity, including, Border Management system, airport Electronic Forms Declaration, Human Relations Management system, DMS and AMS and NII, all services embedded the B’Odogwu, platform, which is an indigenous technology tat had replaced the Nigerian Integrated Customs Information system , NICIS, operated by WEBB Fontaine ,which was a foreign technology , currently at PTML,, which was said to have been used for the implementation of the pilot phase of the project before being expanded to the Apapa, Tin-can Island Commands.The Association had sounded it loud and clear hat there is need for the service ‘’to be granted its own autonomy.
In spite of the fact that the Kastina state born immediate past Nigerian President had signed the Customs Management Bill, passed by the National Assembly in April, 2023, into Law, for implementation by the service, it was found to have been very defective.
The Customs 2023, Management Act was found to have been silent on the tenure of the ACGs, DCGs and the CG, who constitute the Management Team. The Association was particular, about the ACGs, as some of them may still be under the 60 years age bracket, which is the statutory age limit that had been set in the Civil service for Civil servants who had attained the age limit of 60 years to retire.
Describing it as an aberration because of the huge amount that had been spent on the senior officers over the years in the service developmental programme, both within and outside the country, may have encouraged the LOME members to seek for an amendment the Customs Act to make it more effective.
Hon. Leke Abejide, Chairman, House Committee on Customs may have read the handwriting on te wall that some members of the Management Team may retire before they attain the 60 years age limit and its implications to the service future that it has given an indication of going to look at the Customs 2023, Act again to making it become more relevant to the Customs operations and solve its perennial problem of lack of experienced officers to do the job and reduce the reliance on Consultants who are mostly the retired officers, who may have set up Consultancy outfits on trade disputes.
At a recent working visit to the Lagos ports, Hon. Abajide, may have gladdened the heart of the industry operators when he assured that part of the amendment that would be addressed by the HIS Committee would be to ensure a four years statutory tenure for any appointed CCGC, by the President, as the position as a political coloration.
The House Committee on Customs may have been encouraged to revisit the Customs Act because Hameed Ali, a retired Army Colonel had retired from the service before his appointment by the then President Buhari to head the service which he was said to have occupied for eight years, meaning that only the President has the power to remove him.
The Customs Comptroller General, who may have feared that many of the experienced officers including Comptrollers, who had spent 35 years on the job but had not attained the 60 years age of retirement may be force to quit the job, may have informed why he had used his position to seek extension for some of the officers including two Area Controllers.
This may have emboldened the Osun state born CGC, to stay put in office and carrying his normal official assignment, delivering Lectures as he did in Lagos on Monday, May 5, 2025, fueling speculations making the rounds that he has started his pre-retirement leave as there were people waiting to see him at the Abuja office but no luck.
