By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service has confirmed the promotion of its National Public Relations Officer to the rank of Assistant Comptroller of Customs, as part of its recent promotion exercise that affected 4,291 senior officers.
The Nigerian Customs Service Board made a significant announcement on December 20, 2024, confirming the appointment of over 4,000 personnel to various ranks within the service. This move is expected to bolster the organization’s operational efficiency and effectiveness in carrying out its mandates.
At the 61st regular meeting chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, the service made it known it has appointed one Deputy Comptroller General (DCG), seven Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) and 4,291 senior officers.
The newly confirmed Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Management Team members include DCG S. Chiroma (North-East) and ACGs ZM Gaji (North-East), OA Adebakin (South-West), GM Omale (North-Central), MS Yusuf (North-Central), DA Nnadi (South-East), HK Ejibunu (North-Central), and D Hassan (North-East).
The appointments it says are to fill the vacancies created by the retirement of some management team members from the certain geopolitical zones of the federation. The service says it is committed to national inclusivity, institutional balance, and adherence to the Federal Character Policy as outlined in Section 14(4) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
Also, “the promotion of senior officers highlights the exceptional performance of both General Duty (GD) and Support Staff (SS) personnel during the 2024 promotion exercise” .
A exercise in which 80 Deputy Comptrollers (DC) advanced to Customs Comptroller (CC), 151 Assistant Comptrollers (AC) to Deputy Comptroller (DC) and 612 Chief Superintendents of Customs (CSC) to Assistant Comptroller (AC).
Others are 641 Superintendents of Customs (SC) to Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), 392 Deputy Superintendents of Customs (DSC) to Superintendent of Customs (SC), 590 Assistant Superintendents of Customs I (ASC I) to Deputy Superintendent of Customs (DSC), 965 Assistant Superintendents of Customs II (ASC II) to ASC I, and 860 Inspectors of Customs (IC) to ASC II.
In its bid to reward excellent service, the Board also approved special promotions for sixteen (16) deserving officers to the next higher rank based on exceptional performance in various assigned responsibilities.
In the same vein, the Board equally approved a posthumous promotion in honour of the late Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Etop Andrew Essien, who passed away on June 25, 2024, during a presentation before the National Assembly House Committee on Public Accounts.
This gesture the Board says “acknowledges his invaluable contributions and unwavering dedication, a testament to the organisation’s appreciation of exceptional service and commitment” .
In addition, a 12-month service extension has been granted to selected distinguished senior officers representing the six geopolitical zones of the Federation.
The extension of service for these officers, ratified by the Board meeting, follows the Presidential approval for the measure meant to address the current high rate of NCS management turnover.
The officers granted this esteemed extension include Assistant Comptrollers-General B Imam (North-East), IG Umar (North-West), KC Egwu South-East) as well as Comptrollers F. Abdulqadri (North-Central), MT Awe South-West, and OF Ojiefor (South-South.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, on behalf of the NCSB, congratulates all newly appointed, promoted, and retained officers, urging them to uphold the Service’s core mandates and pursue excellence.
Bashir Adewale spreads the holiday cheer by wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and New Year. He’s also expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Honorable Minister of Finance for wrapping up the 2024 promotion cycle in a timely manner.
As the Customs Service celebrates this major milestone, the CGC is reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to building a motivated team with clear opportunities for growth and a relentless pursuit of excellence. This commitment is sure to boost morale and keep the Customs Service striving for greatness.
