Customs eyes N1.5 trillion revenue, places 577 officers on retirement

Still reeling on the feat of 2017, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has set a N1.5 trillion revenue target for this year.

This comes, as the agency is to retire 577 of its officers.

The NCS had announced a total collection of N1.37 trillion in 2017, surpassing the year’s target of N770.57 billion. It collected N898.67 billion in 2016, N903 billion in 2015 and N977.09 billion in 2014.

The service’s Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, said promotion of officers, which would soon be approved by the board as well as the review of salaries, payment of bonuses to the officials were among the issues discussed at a recent management meeting.

Others were assurances on timely payment of perks and signing of approval letters for the lateral conversion of officers in the inspectorate cadre to superintendent.

A circular, signed by the Comptroller Establishments, Sulaiman M.S.J., listed those affected by retirement to include a deputy comptroller general; an assistant comptroller general; 11 comptrollers; 27 deputy comptrollers; 27 assistant comptrollers and 23 chief superintendents.

The service had few weeks ago effected promotion and redeployment of some officers.

Attah, had in a statement, released the names of promoted and redeployed officers.

He had said: “Among those promoted in acting capacity were Isa Talatu Mairo to Deputy Comptroller-General Tariff and Trade; Amajam Bukar, Controller, Federal Operations Unit Zone C, elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General, Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection; and David Elisha Chikan as ACG (Human Resources and Development).

“The CGC charged the affected officers to see their appointments and as opportunities to contribute their best towards consolidating the gains of the ongoing reforms in the Service.”

Others affected by the retirement notice include five Chief Inspector of Customs Terminal (CIC T); 21 Chief Inspector of Customs (CIC); 21 Superintendent of Customs (SC); 36 Deputy Chief Inspector of Customs (DCIC); 23 Deputy Comptrollers (DCs); 121 Assistant Chief Inspector of Customs (ACIC); four ACIC1; 131 Deputy Inspector of Customs (DIC) and one Assistant Superintendent of Customs 11.

The rest are 83 Senior Inspector of Customs (SIC); two Chief Customs Assistant (CCA ‘T’); 18 Inspector of Customs (IC); six CC; three Assistant Inspector of Customs; two Senior Customs Assistant (SCA) and one Customs Assistant (CA).

The affected officers are being disengaged either on the basis of mandatory 60 years of age or 35 years in service in line with civil service rules.

According to the NCS, those affected are expected to furnish the headquarters with their notices of retirement on or before the end of March this year. The management also insisted that all those due for retirement must proceed on the mandatory three months pre-retirement leave, starting from March.