SEVERAL DCGs, ACGs & COMPTROLLERS BILLED TO SAY GOODBYE B/W JUNE & SEPT; AS CUSTOMS SAYS 3-MONTHS PRE-RETIREMENT LEAVE REMAINS SACROSANCT
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
In five months’ time, September to be specific, all Serving Deputy/Assistant Comptrollers General; as well as some Comptrollers who enlisted in the Service since 1991 will say goodbye to the Customs as their tenure run out with speed.
Some of the Customs Top Echelon Staff and Serving Grade ‘A’ Area Controllers are however, billed to commence their retirement leave as soon as middle of June this year, having been barred from ‘overstaying’ in the Service vide a circular just issued by the Customs Headquarters.
Consequently, in the next four weeks, the Service will be considering the elevation of some of its middle cadre officers to fill the yawning gap that will pop up due to the imminent statutory retirements.
The future of the Service seems to hang on the shoulders of current Deputy/Assistant Comptrollers who may get accelerated promotions between now and June ending. Few Comptrollers now serving at the Command level will be pushed up the cadre as Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) but will only hang the ever cherished ranks just for weeks before they discharge.
The extension of service may have been out-lawed, judging from the several circulars emanating from the management which forbade over staying beyond the dictates of the Public Service Rules (PSR).
For the umpteenth time, the management has frowned against such illegal undertaking. In a strongly worded circular just released, dated April 21, 2026, by the Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) Finance, Administration and Technical Services, DCG KI Adeola, on behalf of the Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD; it regretted, thus;
“It has come to the attention of management that there has been a complete non-adherence to the provisions outlined in Section 120-43 of the Public Service Rules (PSR) regarding the three (3) months pre-retirement notice. This flagrant disregard for established regulations is no longer acceptable”
The circular entitled ‘Adherence to pre-retirement leave notification’, said “for the avoidance of doubt, the Public Service Rule (PSR) requires that all officers proceed on 3 months pre-retirement leave prior to their official date of retirement.
This provision is not discretionary. It applies to all officers and men of the the Nigeria Customs Service, regardless of rank, station or assignment “.
DCG Adeola stated in the circular that the only exception recognized under this framework is where an officer is granted a specific written approval by the Comptroller General of Customs to remain in the Service beyond the commencement of the pre-retirement date period.
The workforce was directed to ensure strict compliance with these provisions which departments, Zonal Headquarters as well as Area Commands and Units were told to maintain accurate records of officers approaching retirement and to initiate the pre-retirement leave process in timely manner “with immediate effect without awaiting a reminder from the Headquarters “.
The Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) and the Customs Police are directed to collaborate to ensure total compliance.
All officers who enlisted in the Service since 1991-1992 are due for retirement this year.