Two Customs Officers In Trouble Over Official Misconduct
LAGOS JUNE 25TH (NEWSRANGERS)-There are strong indications that the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, may have sacked two Assistant Comptrollers General, ACGs, (names withheld by Vanguard Maritime Report) following recommendation of a Disciplinary Committee it set up to investigate the affected officers over alleged official misconducts.
Information available to Vanguard Maritime Report suggest that a verdict of compulsory retirement and dismissal, respectively, were recommended for the embattled officers.
While one of them ran into trouble for reportedly raiding the warehouse of one Alhaji Habu Sarkin-Fulani, friend of President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, the other is believed to have been implicated in a botched smuggling of 295 trucks of petroleum products sometime in December 2019, while serving under the Joint Security Border Patrol.
Both ACGs who were separately recommended for in-house disciplinary probe are believed to have been found wanting, and subsequently recommended for retirement and dismissal, respectively.
When contacted, the Customs National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah denied knowledge of the sanction of any management staff.
Attah who also doubles as spokesman of the Joint Security Border Patrol, explained that no such action can take place without the ratification of the Customs Board.
While confirming that some officers of the Service were listed to appear before the Customs Disciplinary Committee and a Presidential Probe Panel set up first quarter this year and under the leadership of the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Attah said he was not aware that the Customs board has sat to discuss the recommendations.
His words: “I don’t know what you are talking about. I am not aware that any ACG has been sacked. The service procedure does not allow such things to happen when the Customs board didn’t discuss or endorse such action.
“Because of the coronavirus pandemic and national lockdown, the board has not been able to meet for a long time. Therefore, you are acting on rumour and this does not serve the country in any positive light.”
Corroborating, a dependable top source said no definite action can be taken on the recommendations of either the Customs Disciplinary Committee and Presidential Security Probe Panel until the Customs board sit, discuss and endorse; while noting that the board could also take own position depending on overriding factors, and subject the different cases for further review.
Meanwhile, Vanguard Maritime Report also gathered that news of the development is believed to have sent jitters and apprehension across formations and commands of the Service nationwide, in view of the huge respect the two ACGs are believed to command in the Service.
Vanguard
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Posted by News Rangers
on Jun 25 2020. Filed under National.
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