The Second Coming Of The Customs Comptroller General Conference

In our editorial opinions shortly before it was stopped, we argued that the annual Customs Comptroller General’s conference had lost focus, stopped meeting its objectives and had become worse than a town hall meeting. We slightly fell short of calling for its scrapping. We recall that after the editorial, we received some calls from those who felt that the editorial was in bad taste. We were called names. But, a few weeks after the editorial, the then-CG of Customs Alhaji Hamman Bello Ahmed decided that the Service no longer need the jamboree called CG Annual Conference

In our editorial opinions shortly before it was stopped, we argued that the annual Customs Comptroller General’s conference had lost focus, stopped meeting its objectives and had become worse than a town hall meeting. We slightly fell short of calling for its scrapping. We recall that after the editorial, we received some calls from those who felt that the editorial was in bad taste. We were called names. But, a few weeks after the editorial, the then-CG of Customs Alhaji Hamman Bello Ahmed decided that the Service no longer need the jamboree called CG Annual Conference
It was a vindication of our stand that what the conference had turned out to be is certainly not what Alhaji Ahmed Mustapha conceived about 12 years ago.
Before the suspension, the conference had been held in all the nation’s geopolitical zones. Cities like Port Harcourt, Kano, Ibadan, Yola, Owerri, Calabar, Jos, Otta and Sokoto have had the privilege of playing hosts to customs big wig.
We are sure that when the former customs number one man initiated the conference, he probably thought he was creating a platform for top shots in the service to frankly appraise themselves within the context of the expected roles of the Nigeria Customs Service; first as a revenue collector and lately as a trade facilitator.
Various issues bordering on customs operations, rights, legal and fiscal policy restrictions as well as inter agency relationships have been discussed at different years that the conference has held. The last of such themes was on the much-talked-about, but, seemingly unachievable need to clear goods from the ports within 48 hours after their arrival.
When the CG conference lasted, stakeholders from shipping to manufacturing, to port and border operations including sister government agencies converge on cities chosen by the Customs to proffer solutions to how best to help the customs do its work better.
 The stakeholders’ forum, which was an integral part of the conference, became a veritable opportunity for all those who had grievances to let it out. But, to what extent has this achieved the purpose.
A good innovation the stakeholders’ forum was, but it later turned out worse than a town hall meeting where all spoke, but none acted.
While we have nothing against the conference, we are however skeptical that it would be a sharp departure from the immediate years leading to its suspension.
There is a lot for the Customs and its stakeholders to talk about, and we think that rather than turn it to a jamboree, this year’s conference should be used to focus on the readiness of the service to take over cargo inspection without compromising on trade facilitation.
The general believe is that Customs is not interested in the whole essence of engaging the destination inspection service providers, which is, container scanning.
There is no doubt that the incumbent CG has significantly enhanced the welfare and salary of the customs personnel. However, a lot still need to be done about the perception of the Nigeria Customs Service as an agency whose personnel are very corrupt.
The incumbent leadership of the Customs should have it at the back of their minds that the idea of a yearly conference was introduced as a way of taking stock of the out-going year and tasking its personnel for the in-coming year.
For the Customs conference to be more relevant and be taken more seriously, as a forum for genuine self-appraisal of the service and cross-fertilisation of ideas, it must be redesigned and refocused.
We are not quite comfortable that the Customs boss; Alhaji Diko Abdulahi Inde is reopening the conference in his home town; Katsina in Katsina state. This gives the impression that nothing may have changed and that the CG conference may still be a jamboree and a journey into self aggrandizement.