There is palpable confusion at various commands of the Nigeria Customs Service, even as the Comptroller General, Hameed Ali recently decentralized powers at its area commands.
The CG of Customs reportedly directed Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) officers and Valuation officers not to be answerable to Area Controllers, but to some Deputy Comptroller Generals at the headquarters in Abuja.
The development is however creating confusion at the commands as stakeholders confirm to Shipping Position Daily that CIU, and Valuation Officers are now more powerful than command Area Controllers.
Licensed customs agents lament that Area Controllers no longer have powers to address challenges at the command level because they would be overruled by 'higher forces' from Abuja.
They described the current situation in customs as a 'policy somersault' and leadership failure by the Comptroller General, Hameed Ali.
Recall that Ali had also recently directed the Customs Headquarters Strike Force, led by Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa to also operate inside the ports to checkmate smuggling and curb further loss of revenue.
Reliable sources in the Customs service confirmed to Shipping Position Daily that "CIU and Valuation officers of Customs are not under the Area Controllers, they have their own DCG they report to in Abuja, and they go for separate meetings", one of them said.
Another source who reacted to the alleged confusion in the Customs service said the Assistant Comptrollers General and Deputy Comptrollers General were deliberately misleading the CGC.
"They are fighting themselves, creating strike force and removing them, it is an aberration. The ACG and DCG are confusing the CGC because he is not a proper Customs officer" he said.
When he was contacted for clarification on the alleged confusion in the Customs leadership, its National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah said the arrangement is covert.
He simply replied our correspondent that: 'You want to know how intelligence do their job? Haba, it is covert please".
On his part, Public Relations Officer of Customs at Tin Can Island command, Mr Uche Ejesieme debunked reports of confusion in customs leadership.
According to him, 'Customs operate on the basis of regimentation as a disciplined service, I can tell you on good authority that both the CIU, Valuation and other headquarters teams are all complimenting the resident officers and by implication answerable to the Controller at the command level and customs headquarters as the apex authority of customs"
"I wish therefore to correct the false impression that these headquarters teams are not also answerable to their respective Area Controllers"
"Don't forget that all the teams are working with the intent of ultimately achieving the same goal" Ejesieme said.
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