Anxiety grips Customs Commands over CCG imminent removal

By ZION Olalekan |

Some core loyalists of the incumbent Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, are presently numbed with fears over the imminent removal of the Customs boss whom few of them have come to regard as their godfather.

This palpable fear may not be unconnected with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that the service must submit her handover notes on or before April 23.

Feelers emerged that some core loyalists of the CCG were displeased with the directive as fear grips them over the fact that the CCG might not return for the second term.

According to an inside source who works with one of the CAC who pleaded anonymity said ” My boss is a core loyalist of the CCG, and that’s why the CCG put him in this juicy command as the CAC, now that the Mr President has directed that the CCG must handover note before April 23, my boss has not been happy, because anything can happen

“What if the CCG did not come back for the second term, that means my boss may be removed from this command by the new CCG that will be coming in, and you are aware of how much this command rakes in monthly, and how juicy this command is, it will be painful for me too because it will also affect me and many others too if that happens”. He said.

Another CAC’s of the highest generating command in Lagos, told our correspondent that he is not happy with the directive and he is using his contacts in ensuring that the CCG returns for second term.

” you are my friend and I can’t lie to you, I am not happy when i heard the report just like you did, you know this command is one of the highest generating command in Lagos, and I don’t want to leave this command, so I am using all my political contacts in ensuring that Ali returns for second term “. He said.

It could be recalled the Customs boss who led the Buhari Support Organization(BSO) last year had said at 70 President Buhari should have not contemplated of running election in 2019.

But hinted that it was President Buhari’s love for the country and his integrity as well as his excellent achievement that has spurred him to seek another four year mandate.

The Senior Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the President Mallam Garba Shehu, last year also alleged that some government officials including Customs, Immigration and Police among others were working with the opposition elements to scuttle President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.

Recently, President Buhari through the Federal Ministry of Finance ordered Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), the Accountant General of the Federation and 12 other heads of agencies under the Ministry of Finance to submit their hand over notes by April 23.

The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed.

According to the circular obtained yesterday, permanent secretaries and heads of extra-ministerial departments and auditor-general of the federation were also directed to send in their handover briefs.

Others affected by the circular include, the Debt Management Office, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), National Insurance Commission, Investment and Security Tribunal, National Economic Reconstruction Fund, Nigeria Export Import Bank, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Development Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.

The minister revealed that the development was to ensure a comprehensive hand over notes for the smooth and effective transition to the in-coming administration on May 29.

The handover notes, she further revealed, are to be prepared in soft copies, hard copies must as well contain lists of files under the custody of all the MDAs.