Certainly, it is the tradition among stakeholders and friends of the Nigeria Customs Service to speculate and anticipate the exit of a Customs Comptroller General. It has been like that since the days before Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed, who being a Veterinary Doctor became the Comptroller General of Customs.
Certainly, it is the tradition among stakeholders and friends of the Nigeria Customs Service to speculate and anticipate the exit of a Customs Comptroller General. It has been like that since the days before Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed, who being a Veterinary Doctor became the Comptroller General of Customs.
Since then, the service has always been incensed with succession battle. The emergence of Brigadier General Sam Ango(now retired) as the Sole Administrator caught many unawares, even though many were aware of the ‘do or die’ succession battle that had ravaged the system. Many may still remember the bitter battle between two ACGs (names withheld) for the coveted seat of Customs CG prior to Ango’s appointment.
When Gen. Ango was due to be removed, the tradition of in-fighting came up again, but the lot fell on Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha, who, even though his tenure was peaceful and successful, he voluntarily opted out, to pave the way for the emergence of (firs;t Mr David Ogunbgemile in acting capacity) and later; Jacob Gyang Buba as the substantive CG.
Even though Gyang Buba spent about four years, his regime witnessed perhaps the most riotous in-fighting among the top echelon of the service. Every Comptroller, every ACG and every DCG saw himself as a potential Customs boss and they lay in wait throughout Buba’s tenure.
Upon his removal, Hamman Bello emerged, albeit for a short period to pave the way for Dr Bernard Shaw Nwadialo whom against all expectations, was not made a substantive Customs CG.
He was to be succeeded by the incumbent; Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde, who was appointed by the late President Umar Yar A’dua in August 2009. He was neither the most senior nor the most qualified.
The Nigeria Customs Service has witnessed more reform committees, task forces and panels; perhaps than any other agency of government and each reform heralds a new headship for the service.
Certainly, those who lobbied and who are probably still lobbying for the seat of the CG of Customs are entitled to their ambitions and they are only playing along the line of history, for which the Nigeria Customs Service has been known.
The lobby for Dikko’s removal has nothing to do with performances or otherwise, it’s just part of the Customs tradition. The incumbent can not claim ignorant of this ‘tradition’, he is a beneficiary of it.
The fact is Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdulahi rose quickly above his peers and seniors to become the Customs number one man in 2009. He has discharged his mandate creditably, no doubt.
The anxiety that is being expressed by stakeholders and ‘lovers’ of Dikko is certainly not out of place. One, unlike the tradition that we are all used to, his appointment has not been officially extended. Two, unlike what we are all used to, there are more lobbyisst and interested parties from outside the service than from within. There isn’t as much known contenders to the ‘thrown’ as it used to be.
There is no arm in asking for the job of the CG of Customs, but let the contenders fault the achievements of the incumbent.
While not holding brief for Dikko, he has certainly done well to continue, but the power to do that is beyond him. It is also beyond those who have become more ambitious than him and those who have seized every available opportunity to shout on the roof top that: The appointment of the CG of Customs is not tenured, as if we don’t know!
.
Discussion about this post