Even though the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Alli has directed officers to declare their assets in 14 days, some officers of the service have said that the exercise is not strange to them.
This is even as stakeholders in the maritime sector have equally said that the asset declaration statement by the Customs boss is being blown out of proportion.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily on Monday, Tin Can Island Customs Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chris Osunkwo said that customs officers usually receive the asset declaration form from time to time and that this is not the first time.
Osunkwo however said that the recent directive by the CG Customs has not been passed to the commands. He confirmed that there has not been any circular to that effect.
“The customs at command levels have not received any circular to that effect; we just heard it on the news as you have heard. We don’t begin to act based on that, until we get the circular”
“Whenever the forms are brought to us , we are ready to fill the forms. Personally every now and then I do my own” he said.
Osunkwo’s colleague at the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd., Mr Steve Okonma, said he had no comment on the asset declaration.
Okonmah also said the command had not received any circular to that effect.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Customs Command, Mr Emmanuel Ekpa, said asset declaration was part of the public service rules.
Ekpa said there was “nothing extra-ordinary’’ about the directive on asset declaration.
“The 14-day ultimatum by the Comptroller-General to officers to declare their assets is normal and is in line with the public service rule that all workers should do that once in four years.
“What Col. Ali has done with the ultimatum is to compel all officers who have not complied with this rule to do so in view of the fact that many officers have not declared their assets.
“I have done my assets declaration and so I am not affected by the ultimatum.
All civil servants are required to declare their assets and all the comptroller-general wants is total compliance, “ he said.
Ekpa said the Code of Conduct Bureau was in a better position to confirm if some customs officers had started complying with the directive.
He said activities at the Apapa command of the service were normal, adding that no panic or apprehension among officers as a result of the ultimatum on asset declaration.
But the National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Mr Wale Adeniyi assured that gradually the commands would be receiving the circular between Monday and Tuesday.
Corroborating the customs spokespersons, a senior freight forwarder and Chairman of Apapa chapter of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Fred Adjuzie told Shipping Position Daily that declaration of assets is not a new thing in customs.
“Every officer is aware of it, there is a form you fill every year, when you joined the service you will fill the same form, there are some officers from a wealthy family, they could inherit wealth from their families, any wealth inherited will be declared, it is part of the process and it is verifiable” he said
Ajudzie noted that there is nothing wrong with Alli asking officers to declare their assets.
Also speaking with our correspondent, Apapa Chapter Chairman of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim said the statement of the CG of Customs is being blown out of proportion because of the on-going anti-corruption crusade.
“Declaration of assets is not an issue as far as I am concerned because every year, there is declaration of assets done at the customs, there is a form sent to them and you must fill that form, it is not a bid deal”
“It is just because of the anti-corruption regime that is why everybody is seeing it as a big deal” he said.
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