The League of Maritime Editors , a group of versatile and vastly experienced journalists, have asked the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently consider an amendment of the Nigerian Customs Service Act 2023, with a view to granting autonomy to the Service and decide a tenure for its top management cadre, the Customs Comptroller General(CG) and the others.
The respected journalistic body said in a Statement that, it was a good thing that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023 repealed the Customs and Excise Management Act(CEMA), paving way for reforms which centered on modernization of its operations, made it to be in line with global standards and best practices, leading to the current excellent performance of the leadership, officers and men of the Customs.
The League specifically called on the Federal Government to consider the Customs Act amendment with the provisions for the position of the CGC to be tenured either for four years or five years, with a single tenure, at worse scenario.
It said within that time the CGC in office would be able to plan development efforts, execute some of them before leaving office, while mentoring successors for sustainable management.
They however pointed out that the missing link in the Act is the lack of autonomy clause for the Customs and a specific tenure for the Comptroller-General(CG) of the Service, Deputy Comptroller-General(DCG) and the Assistant Comptroller General(ACG).
According to the editors , decades of clamour for the autonomy of the Service, and indeed, the specific tenure of appointees in the management cadre of the Service, including the CGC, DCG and ACG was left out.
They said the current scenario is that the tenure of these leaders is not stated, making them to retire on attaining 35 years in Service or 60 years of age, not minding if they spend six months in office, as they are compelled to bow out irrespective of what developmental programmes they have at hand.
In the Statement signed by its President , Mrs Remi Itie and the PRO, Francis Ugwoke, the League stated that Incidentally, the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise had given an indication of planning an amendment of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, adding that it is as an opportunity to address this lacuna.
It will be recalled that the Chairman of the Committee, Honourabke Leke Abejide during a recent visit to the Lagos ports pointed this out, promising that part of the amendment would be to ensure a four year statutory tenure for any serving Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC).
Abejide had expressed regret that the 2023 Nigeria Customs Service Act failed to stipulate this in its provisions.
League stated that while it is the view of the Legal Adviser of the House Committee during the visit that the civil service rule supersedes tenure for the Customs CG, the League however said this argument does not hold water for obvious reasons.
It rather reminded the House Committee that the Central Bank Governor and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) are all government appointees whose stay in office are tenured.
The Maritime Editors pointed out that as a matter of fact, there are other agencies with such tenure, including the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) who enjoys a tenure of five years and can do a maximum of two tenures.
