Customs Mulls Promotion of Officers

Comptroller Jibrin, others on list

By Bayo Bernard

Feelers have emerged recently that the management of the Hameed Ali -led Nigerian Customs Service, NCS will soon promote some senior officers. The development came barely one month after over 70 controllers were redeployed to new formations, by the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali.

Some officers affected in the shake-up are yet to recover from the shock, the magazine was told, particularly those who felt they were redeployed for political reasons.

Some comptrollers affected in the shake are Abubakar Bashir who moves from Port-Harcourt II (Onne) to Apapa; Musa Jibrin from Apapa to Human Resources Development department Abuja; Sa’idu Galadima from Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Port-Harcourt Area II (Onne) while Mohammed Aliyu of Seme Command has been directed to swap positions with Mohammed Garba of Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’,

On the other hand, some officers disclosed that they were happy with the development as it was an opportunity to move up in the promotion ladder of the NCS. Their thought may be in line with suggestions that the NCS management will soon promote some senior officers.

The last time the NCS promoted officers was in May this year when Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) confirmed the promotion of 1,997 senior officers to various ranks.

The promotion coincided with appointments of four members of NCS management headed by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.

The magazine learned that some officers from the ranks of controllers are already overdue for promotion.  The yardsticks for the promotion of officers, the magazine was told are, cumulative scores of annual evaluation, written examination, oral interview, seniority and availability of vacancies.

It was learned that some controllers are already qualified on the basis of seniority and may be elevated to the rank of ACG soon.

One of those that have been penciled down for promotion to ACG, the magazine learned, is Comptroller Jibrin Musa, the outgoing Area controller of Apapa Area 1 custom command.

Comptroller Musa has been moved to Human Resources at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

One of the controllers redeployed recently told the magazine that most of them are surprised that the promotion of Comptroller Musa had yet to be announced. “We all call him Oga Musa because he’s senior to many of us. Apart from that, he has done well in Apapa as Area Controller. I can assure you that the CGC is happy with what he has been able to do in Apapa, particularly in the area of revenue generation for the federal government,” the source, who’s among 70 officers redeployed, recently told the magazine yesterday.

“Oga Musa was posted to Human Resources to go and rest ,“the controller who spoke in confidence to The Source said.

However, a source in NCS headquarters Abuja, told the magazine that those qualified for promotion will be elevated to their new ranks soon, but was not specific whether it will happen before the end of the year.

In his response to the issue, Attah told the magazine that there are parameters to promoting officers in NCS, adding that those who have distinguished themselves will not be denied promotion