COMPT GAMBO ALIYU IN ACG SHUAIBU’S GARB
In public service, capacity is a major factor in one’s consideration for any juicy position, but humility takes precedence in clinching such a position, especially in a military or paramilitary organization.
Loyalty in one hand, gives you all, especially stability, otherwise, one will be short lived in any position of authority.
A cursory or in-depth look at the Federal Operations Unit in zone A, in the last one year will quickly show you how loyalty and humility can be a Siamese twins that can propel any officer to stardom.
Special focus must be beamed on the two recent Comptrollers of this great flagship Unit to serve as a case study for capacity and loyalty.
Students of human relations have all taken time to pose the question as to which one should be of more important than the other.
FOU’A’ Controller, Mohammed S. Shuaibu, now ACG (HQ) , a thorough-bred gentleman, who, inspite of his being officially deployed to the Unit by the Comptroller General was held ‘hostage’ by an intentional plot to delay or overturn his taking over by Baba Ibadan.
Reason was based on his warped idea of connection with the powers that be up there.
Inspite of his signing out of the Idiroko command in good time-handing over to another quintessential officer, Compt Otunla, he was still ‘floating’ waiting till instructions would come from the Customs headquarters for his predecessor to immediately hand over or be whisked away by the customs police.
The no-nonsense disposition and body language of the Comptroller General saved what would have become an ugly situation and unprecedented indiscipline in the Service.
The last time we experienced such disloyalty was when the late Comptroller Hamidu was Area controller at the premier command. He was transferred to Abuja even on promotion to the rank of an Assistant Comptroller General (ACG)
but he refused to quit, preferring to remain as Area controller of Apapa on same rank of a Comptroller.
He unfortunately died in office in the midst of the controversy. With series of phone calls, it was obvious that the game was up at the FOU’A’ last year, and hurriedly Comptroller Shuaibu (then) was handed over the reigns of office.
A cool-headed man, all inclusive policeman of the customs in the Western zone, he won the hearts of many Area controllers in Lagos and beyond as well as officers who heaved a sigh of relief that a difficult guy eventually was off the Headquarters where the owner of the job can see him well.
So, Compt Shuaibu ruled with the fear of God, broke seizure records and was ‘exalted’ with a higher office/rank to mount the saddle as the clearing house of the customs service.
A man who can not hurt a fly, mingles with the high and low, respectful and transparent, did not miss the eagle eye of the Customs Boss, who identified his candor as a personality that can assist him stabilize the Service.
His successor at the FOU ’A’ , Compt Gambo Aliyu is cool. A British born Nigerian, very civilized, urbane, has in his fingertips the counsel given to him pro bono by his predecessor, who advised him to carry everyone along in the discharge of his functions.
Gambo Aliyu got glued to that advise, remaining accessible. He doesn’t keep industry operators waiting endlessly, he knows the job and collaborates with stakeholders as well as his colleagues seamlessly.
He is loved, a good man indeed!
Soon after he took over, he marshaled out three guiding principles of change management, compliance management and reputational management, guided by inclusivity, and he has kept faith.
Compt Aliyu sees sense in partnership in the customs shared task of securing the nation’s borders, economy and safety of Nigerians.
In his onerous promise to confront smugglers with renewed vigour, professional discipline and complete respect for rule of law, he has also not disappointed. His level headedness and collaborative efforts have continued to bear fruits.
In just six weeks, after his assumption of office, he scared away economic saboteurs from the Lagos zone, making 144 interceptions, with 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice (12 trailer loads), 3,562 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of PMS, 915 bales of used clothing.
Others include the seizure of 3,029 parcels of synthetic strain of cannabis Indica ‘Ghanaian loud’ weighing 1.43kg. Aliyu was of the view that this singular move significantly has disrupted the supply chains networks.
On drugs, he was of the view that such trafficking fuels threats, which provides chemical catalyst such as methamphetamine which emboldens perpetrators of crime, erode moral and destabilize the nation. In so short a time, he recorded a N3.319 billion seizure. He remains a torn in the flesh of economic saboteurs, he fits the shoes of distinguished ACG Shuaibu, in character and indeed.
Thank you 001, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, for giving us personnel with human face.