ABUJA: With trade crimes involving importers and freight forwarders, and some customs officers as accomplices, the new Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has a huge task of changing an age long tradition of corruption in this multibillion naira revenue generating government agency.
For the nation’s maritime industry, it was a surprise when the federal government announced the appointment of a retired colonel in the Army, Hammed Ibrahim Ali, as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). Ali succeeds Alhaji Inde Dikko Abdullahi who retired in August 18 after six years on the seat.
The appointment came at a time when many had expected that one of the serving senior customs officers in the rank of Deputy Comptroller-Generals or Assistant Comptroller Generals would be appointed to succeed Dikko. It was not the first time that the federal government appointed people into the position of CG who were not in the system.
The first appointment was Dr. Bello Mohammed as CG Customs in 1988. He held the position till 1993 and handed over to General SOG Ango (rtd) who was appointed Sole Administrator between 1993 and 1999. It was not that the people appointed were not good administrators, but that they had to spend a lot of time learning the technical details involved. Most times, they spent about a year before they understood the system.
