3 DCGs, 7 ACGs & 45 COMPTROLLERS AMONGST 791 OFFICERS TO SAY ‘GOOD BYE’ TO CUSTOMS NEXT YEAR
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
No less than 791 senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, including three Deputy Comptrollers General (DCGs) seven Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs), as well as 45 full Comptrollers of Customs are to be statutorily discharged between January and September next year.
This will further create a yawning gap in human capacity at the top revenue generating agency. But the National public Relations officer of the service, Assistant Comptroller A. Maiwada said there is no room to panic as the process of the current recruitment exercise and accelerated promotion examination in the month of May this year will take care of the development’.
Top management officers fingered to leave latest by September 2026 are DCG CK Niagwan, DCG KI Adeola and DCG S. Chiroma. Seven ACGs, 45 Comptrollers including notable Area Controllers and FOU Controllers also made the list.
In a circular No.HRD/205/12 entitled ‘list of officers/men for statutory retirement in year 2026’ endorsed by acting Comptroller, Establishment for the Deputy Comptroller General (HRD), N. Mustapha said inter alia,
‘In accordance with the public service Rule ( PSR) No. 100238 and Federal government circular No. 100238 and Federal government circular 63216/S.1/x/T; CR1,/2001/5 of 20/03/2001, all affected officers due for retirement in 2026 are to disengage from the active service and proceed on 3 months pre-retirement leave, three months prior to the effective date of retirement’.
All affected officers are to ensure compliance and forward their three months pre-retirement notice to the Comptroller General of Customs accordingly’ The circular dated March 24, 2025 advised affected officers to forward to the office of the Comptroller General through the DCG (HRD) any observed error, omission or legitimate complaints on or before May 31, 2025.
The prospective retirees are caught up by the required 35 years of service or 60 years of age. All zonal co-ordinators, Area Controllers and Heads of units are requested to make the list available to all the affected officers.
Issue of retirement has become a protracted one in the service as there have been claims and counter claims of officers ‘doctoring’ their dates of birth in order to stay longer than necessary, especially when they are occupying juicy positions, an ugly practice which has also stagnated the elevation of qualified officers to their next ranks.
No doubt, the Comptroller General may have designed strategies to redress and adhere strictly to this policy through the sustained yearly promotion exercise.
Maiwada pointed out that the agency’s current policy on promotion was strategic, noting that retirements and filling of vacancies will be seamless.
On whether the management is considering the extension of years of service for some of the prospective retirees, Maiwada said the answer was not within his reach.