- Col. Hameed Alli has taken over as the new helmsman of the nation’s customs service, what is sure is the number of job-cuts that will follow in days to come.
- The hierarchy of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) are now jittery over impending job cuts in line with the Federal Government’s resolve to reform the establishment for higher revenue generation.
- This was as industry watchers believe President Muhammadu Buhari’s preference for an outsider to head the Customs was to allow a neutral person to clean the paramilitary agency seen by many as a cesspit of corruption in Nigeria.
- The new Comptroller General of the NCS, Hameed Ali, while addressing top officers of the service in Abuja last week reminded them of his presidential mandate to restructure, reform and increase revenue generation while he holds sway at the service.
- Though his address sounded like that of any new head of government establishment, analysts viewed his body language on “reform” in the Customs as a pseudo word for mass sack going by precedence.
According to a Customs officer who preferred anonymity, “Some of them have already developed thick skin and made up their minds to face whatever fate throws at them at the end of the day. Many of the service’s top brass appear not to trust Ali who is seen as a strict disciplinarian. So they can only expect the worst,”
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