ANTI-CORRUPTION: Customs Adopts Bank Employees Act, Gives Officers 14 Days To Declare Assets

Col. Hammed Ali (rtd)

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd) has given all the officers and men of the Customs a 14-day ultimatum to make formal disclosures of their assets in compliance to Section 12 (1) of Bank Employees Declaration of Assets Acts, B1 Laws of Nigeria, 2004 or face disciplinary actions.

Ali stated in a circular that the directive has become necessary in line with the anti-corruption agenda of the present administration adding that transparency and accountability are vital elements that cannot be compromised if the target of the government must achieve its set objectives.

The circular also clarified that the resort to the Act was in compliance to its provisions adding that it specifically permits the President to extend its application to other categories of person.

The directive through a circular signed by the Comptroller-General and addressed to all Deputy Comptrollers-General, Zonal Coordinators and Customs Area Controllers made reference to the enabling provision of the Act, “ Section 12 (1) of the Act states ‘The provision of this Act shall apply to the Comptroller General, Deputy Comptroller-General, Assistant Comptroller-General, Chief Collector, Principal Collector, Principal Collector and other officers, staff or employee of the Nigeria Customs Service as they apply  to a Chief Executive or an employee of a bank”

Sadly, the Customs boss noted that the organization over the years has not complied with the provision and therefore operated without a sense of accountability as required in all sectors of the public service of the federation.