Breaking News: Tussle for Customs Comptroller General’s position hits fire

As the race for who takes the position of Comptroller General of Customs is still at hit,  six Deputies of Comptroller General (DCGs) of Custom are said to have been penciled down for compulsory retirement while three choices from the rank of Assistant Comptroller General have been penciled down for the race.

Those who will face compulsory retirement are: John Atte South South, Ibrahim Mera (North West), Gabriel Aliu (North Central), Tahir Musa (North East), Chukwuma Nwosu (South-East) and Ade Adewuyi (South- West).

  If the lot of who heads the  agency falls on the South-West, then three are already being considered ready.

They  are  Ade Dousumu from Lagos State, Adesina Odunmbaku, Ogun State and Dr David Olusegun Agbaje from Ondo State. Agbaje is the most senior ACG from the South West.

While much is unknown about the ambition of both Dosunmu and Odumbaku, Dr. Agbaje's name is coming up for the second time.

  Dr. Agbaje who holds a PhD in English Studies had served in various capacities in the Nigeria Customs Service before he was promoted to the position of an Assistant Comptroller-General in January, 2010, is however due for retirement in 2017 when he would have attained the mandatory 35 years in service.

 Our source gathered that the new government plans to appoint the Comptroller General of Customs from the South West as a balancing act.    

But insiders also revealed that the incumbent Comptroller General is not giving up on his ambition to stay on.

 It will be recalled that the incumbent, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde became the Comptroller-General of the Customs on August 17, 2009, and he is in his sixth year.

 It was gathered  that, while the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari is not in a hurry to announce such appointment, he may be forced to announce replacements soon.   

 Sources at the Finance Ministry said that the former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala had pushed for Dikko's removal a few times, but failed.

  However, it was observed  that one of the reasons she couldn't pull it through was because her choice would have further pitched the former President against a particular tribe that has been alleging marginalization.

  Our source gathered that the new government plans to appoint the Comptroller General of Customs from the South West as a balancing act.    

  Another ace is the recent unprecedented discovery of 75 warehouses in Kano where imported textiles were illegally concealed. The textiles were valued at N319.7 billion.

Some opponents of Dikko have questioned the timing of the seizures, alleging that it was stage-managed to coincide with the inauguration of the new President to score a point.

They wondered why it took the Customs so much time to unearth the Chinese, while they also wonder how the textiles got into the country.

  Observers are, however, of the view that whether the axe falls on Dikko or not, the Katsina State born CG should ever remain very accomplished, as he has so much transformed the service through his numerous award winning innovative mechanisms that have in no small measure, facilitated international trade in Nigeria.