Nigerian NewsDirect authoritatively gathered that the appointment of Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service has developed  palpable tension among senior officers in the service over the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ali in the maiden meeting with customs officers had told them he was brought to sanitize the service and also to restructure, boost the revenue drive and reform the service.

However, a reliable source who is conversant with the internal working of the Customs informed Nigerian NewsDirect that since the appointment of Ali as the CG, senior customs officers from the position of Area Controller to Deputy Comptroller General of Customs (DCG) have started disposing off their properties across the country.

The source who said series of security checks has been  conducted  on top officers of the command to know the level of rot that happened in the service have been living in fear of being hunt down by the probe.

It would be recalled that, the Nigeria Customs Service ranked among the most corrupt agencies of government in the country.

A survey by the CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with the McArthur Foundation had in 2013 ranked Customs among corrupt Federal Government agencies.

Other corrupt agencies mentioned in the survey included the Police, Nigeria Immigration Service and the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Investigations showed that fear had gripped men and officers of the service, who had  fed fat on government’s revenues

The new Comptroller-General had already started scrutinising files of top officers of the service and petitions written against some employees.

The new Customs boss had also vowed to dismiss officers with queries pertaining to proven cases of corruption and would also work on petitions written by members of the public against some officers.

Some of the petitions, it was gathered, dealt with illegal sales of seized goods by officers of the service and how they have used it to acquire illegal wealth and  properties across the country.

According to the source, some senior Customs officers have started selling their properties and stop living extravagant lifestyle they were known for before now.

He said, “if you visit Abuja today, you will see a lot of properties up for sale, if you visit some choice places in Lagos, you will see properties up for sale some of these properties belonged to the serving Customs officers.

“They are selling the properties in order not to be caught in the web of discreet probe being carried out by the CGC.

“Remember the CGC said corrupt officers and men of the agency will go to jail.

He said at his maiden meeting that Customs Area Controllers, heads of units and departments will be accountable for infraction dealing with false declaration, deliberate misappropriation of terrific, undervaluation and concealment.”

The source also stated that various customs CAC at each command have warned importers and agents not to come near their office with bribes as it used to be before now.

Giving an instance of a Customs Area Controller who heads one of the commands in Lagos, had asked agents and importers to stay away from his office.

The source said, “Before, it used to be business as usual, where importers or clearing agents who want to under declare their cargoes go to CAC with bribes but now, there is nothing like that anymore. He has even asked agents or importers to stop knocking on his doors asking everyone to pay their duty.”

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Folu Olamiti said the commission was aware that Customs officers are selling off their properties warning members of the public to stay clear of them.

He said, “Anyone who buy the properties is on his own. They are buying an already marked properties that may be forfeited to government in future. If the person is now a public officer, then more problem for the person.”

Efforts to speak with the Customs Public Relations Officer, Wale Adeniyi to confirm report that the officers of the service are selling off their properties proved abortive as text message sent to his phone was not replied.

- See more at: http://www.newsdirectonline.com/newstory.php?ID=13120&m=1#sthash.WKusbKcA.dpuf

The fear of the 504 owner the beginning of wisdom

avelock:
The fear of the 504 owner the beginning of wisdom

hahahahaha... fuuny you.actually when he left kaduna state he had a honda 86 model and a nissan blue bird. I learn't that some one dashed him an accord 2008 o!

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