There are indications that another 400 officers will soon leave the service for various reasons following the voluntary retirement of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals of the Nigerian Customs Service recently.
According to Vanguard, there has been speculation that 400 officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) will soon leave the service for reasons bordering on corruption, insubordination, indiscipline and absenteeism.
It will be recalled that
34 officers were retired on Friday, October 30. Also
5 Deputy Comptrollers-General of the NCS voluntarily retired on Thursday, October 29.
There are reports that some of the officers slated for retirement next week were said to have disregarded re-deployment orders as well as influenced their promotion even when they were not due to be promoted.Some of these officers refused to show up at their new postings, instead they obtained notes from legislators, to stop such re-deployment.
According to industry executives, the sudden retirement of Deputy Comptrollers–General appears unsettling as the development had brought public attention to the activities of NCS.
Many within the Customs circle believe that the retirements of the Deputy Comptrollers General will create room for Customs Comptrollers who have been idle for some sometime to be posted or deployed to commands, and give rise for Deputy Comptrollers to be promoted.
However Adewale Adeniyi, a Deputy Comptroller, the spokesman of the service, denied knowledge of any government reports on the affected officers.