ABUJA: As revenue from oil continues to dwindle due to the fall in oil price at the international market, governments of oil dependent countries are looking deeply inwards and strategising on ways to boost revenue from other sources.
Nigeria is not left out of the clique of nations whose revenue have been seriously impacted by the price fall and as a way of cushioning the effects, the federal government has been concentrating on increasing revenue from the non-oil sector.
With the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) being one of the highest non-oil revenue earner for the government, expectations from it has heightened in recent past and so, although the service has been meeting and, sometimes surpassing, its target, a lot is still expected from it as the oil revenue continues to dip.
On this note, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, pointed out that it was a challenging period for the customs due to the fact that government is placing high expectations on the generation of revenue from taxes and import duties as oil revenue is dropping. While speaking in Abuja at the last official assignment performed by the former comptroller-general of customs (CGC), Abdullahi Dikko, he said, “The customs have done very well in the last few years, but the expectations are high that you should do even better. So as you say goodbye to Dikko, I hope that the incoming leadership of the customs will build on his achievements and do even better.”
It is no surprise, therefore, that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) to the position with a mandate to reform, restructure, and increase the revenue collection profile of the service following Dikko’s voluntary retirement. Ali, who comes to his new job with a wealth of experience, had a distinguished career in the Nigerian Army during which he served as the military administrator of Kaduna State between 1996 and 1998 and the colonel in charge of training in TRADOC, Minna, in 1998. His previous appointments also include being the General Staff Officer II, Military Police Headquarters, 1981-1982; General Staff Officer II, 1 Mechanised Div, Kaduna, 1992; and Commander, Special Investigation Bureau, Apapa, Lagos, 1994-1996.
It is believed that with his level of experience, the new comptroller-general has got all it takes to take the NCS to the next level in line with the federal government’s growth aspiration. Ali has, in line with this, restated his mandate to undertake reforms and re-structuring to enhance the capacity of the NCS to generate more revenue.
Speaking during his maiden meeting held with the management of the service at the customs headquarters in Abuja on assumption of office, the comptroller-general stated his resolve to deliver on his assignment as the head of the agency even as he solicited the support of the entire management and staff. He charged the customs’ management to work with him to deliver on the mandate given by President Mohammadu Buhari, asking them not to see him as an outsider because there had been unease in some quarters about the appointment of a non-career customs officer as the comptroller-general. But given Ali’s track record, there is no doubt that he is capable of sustaining the agency’s growth path and spearheading fresh initiatives that could result in remarkable achievements in the overall interest of the Nigerian economy.
Pointing out clearly what his mandate entails, Ali said, “The mandate he has given me are three basic things: go and reform customs, restructure customs, and increase the revenue generation. I don’t think that is ambiguous, I don’t think that is cumbersome. It is precise and I believe that that is what all of you are here to do.”
He urged with the management not to see him as a stranger in the customs family, noting that his mission there is to help build and strengthen the service even as he solicited for the support and loyalty of all officers and men in a collective approach to make the NCS a better service. He noted that his strategy is to work with the officers and men to optimally achieve the core statutory functions of the service, top of which include revenue collection, trade compliance and facilitation, anti-smuggling activities, and national security.
Ali also promised a commensurate further enhancement of staff welfare for maximum service delivery, even as he stated that the service, under his watch, will ensure a strict application of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) through training and re-training of officers and men on how to apply them in their day-to-day operations. While directing all customs officers and men to adhere strictly to the customs clearance guidelines and procedures, the new CGC stressed that he will address all anomalies manifest in recruitment, training, posting, and promotion of officers and men of the NCS. He was also quick to add that corrupt officers and corrupt practices will have no place under his watch.
He further promised an overhaul of the legal and investigation units of the service as well strengthening the service to meet the maximum demands of emerging challenges. He stated that the welfare of officers and men shall remain uppermost in his mind, adding that the customs training colleges in Lagos and Kano, and the Customs Academy, Gwagwalada, Abuja, shall be further upgraded to meet the current demand.
Not leaving out its stakeholders, Ali urged the trading public to comply strictly with the extant laws, rules and regulations of the NCS while pledging a robust partnership with other critical agencies, including the Army, Navy, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Immigration Service, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ports Security, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), among others. Similarly, the CGC also pledged the service’s commitment to international organisations, such as the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), World Trade Organisations (WTO) and others.
Born on January 15, 1955, in Dass local government area of Bauchi State, Ali attended the Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna, between 1974 and1977, and the Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA, between 1984 and 1988. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degrees in Criminology, and the Nigerian Defence Academy Certificate of Education (NDACE).
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