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| Customs CG; Hameed Alli |
...Says the service needs a professional, not politician
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has kicked against the recent appointment of Col. Hameed Alli (rtd) as the new Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service.
In a six-page press release sent to Shipping Position Daily on Wednesday and signed personally by its founder; Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the association described the appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as political rather than professional.Aniebonam expressed that the association have come to accept Col. Hameed albeit grudgingly, even though it believes that a substantive CG should have been appointed from the ranks of still serving senior officers of the service.
"There is no doubt that the appointment of a retired military man into a highly technical organization like the Nigeria Customs Service caught the attention of the industry stakeholders with some describing it as putting a round peg in a square hole"
"It is to our knowledge as critical stakeholders that the appointment of the military officer did not go down well with almost everybody for the fact that a modern Customs
administration is dynamic and information technology driven. We in NAGAFF
are primarily concerned with the law, professionalism and merit rather
than mudslinging" it said.
It said that at the moment, NAGAFF perceives the appointment of Hameed Ali as being political and a child of necessity rather than being professional.
The NAGAFF added that the opinion and position of NAGAFF and its members with regard to the appointment of the new CGC is that President Buhari must have good reasons to have appointed the retired colonel.
"Patriotism demands that we trust and believe the judgment of Mr. President because he will not do anything to the contrary that will retard the progress of Nigeria as he strives to restore the past glory"
"We can only but assume that Mr. President is very much aware that he must
not disappoint Nigerians who other than political party affiliations voted for him as an individual"
NAGAFF said it observed that most of the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service have not been really happy the way and manner the Government has been treating them despite their contributions to the national economy.
It stressed that the appointment of Col Hameed can best be described as "adding salt to injury"
The association also observed that the intrusion of non-professional officers at the highest level of the Customs administration is most disturbing to the officers. In the past
there has been an experience of such decisions against the service personnel.
"It is on record that a Veterinary Doctor Alhaji Bello Mohammed, and a serving Army Officer Brigadier Gen. Ango were at different times appointed as CGC. It is also alleged that one Alhaji Shehu Musa as a Permanent Secretary was drafted to head Customs."
The association however advised the Customs management to approach the National Assembly to make necessary amendments in the composition of the Board and appointments into the Nigeria Customs Service to exclude outsiders from being the CGC.
"The present Board and appointment as it is presently situated shall continue to subject the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs to unwholesome situations of this nature where it is most likely that they may not aspire to the highest position in the Service"
In a six-page press release sent to Shipping Position Daily on Wednesday and signed personally by its founder; Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the association described the appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as political rather than professional.Aniebonam expressed that the association have come to accept Col. Hameed albeit grudgingly, even though it believes that a substantive CG should have been appointed from the ranks of still serving senior officers of the service.
"There is no doubt that the appointment of a retired military man into a highly technical organization like the Nigeria Customs Service caught the attention of the industry stakeholders with some describing it as putting a round peg in a square hole"
"It is to our knowledge as critical stakeholders that the appointment of the military officer did not go down well with almost everybody for the fact that a modern Customs
administration is dynamic and information technology driven. We in NAGAFF
are primarily concerned with the law, professionalism and merit rather
than mudslinging" it said.
It said that at the moment, NAGAFF perceives the appointment of Hameed Ali as being political and a child of necessity rather than being professional.
The NAGAFF added that the opinion and position of NAGAFF and its members with regard to the appointment of the new CGC is that President Buhari must have good reasons to have appointed the retired colonel.
"Patriotism demands that we trust and believe the judgment of Mr. President because he will not do anything to the contrary that will retard the progress of Nigeria as he strives to restore the past glory"
"We can only but assume that Mr. President is very much aware that he must
not disappoint Nigerians who other than political party affiliations voted for him as an individual"
NAGAFF said it observed that most of the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service have not been really happy the way and manner the Government has been treating them despite their contributions to the national economy.
It stressed that the appointment of Col Hameed can best be described as "adding salt to injury"
The association also observed that the intrusion of non-professional officers at the highest level of the Customs administration is most disturbing to the officers. In the past
there has been an experience of such decisions against the service personnel.
"It is on record that a Veterinary Doctor Alhaji Bello Mohammed, and a serving Army Officer Brigadier Gen. Ango were at different times appointed as CGC. It is also alleged that one Alhaji Shehu Musa as a Permanent Secretary was drafted to head Customs."
"The 2004 Customs reforms again dealt a big blow to the spirit and morale of officers of the
service. Officers of lower ranks were unduly promoted above their superiors without any merit or consideration for experience"
"All these have dampened the spirit of officers of the service till today. The
emergence of Rt. Col. Hameed Ali to the best of our knowledge and standing
may be like adding salt to injury"
service. Officers of lower ranks were unduly promoted above their superiors without any merit or consideration for experience"
"All these have dampened the spirit of officers of the service till today. The
emergence of Rt. Col. Hameed Ali to the best of our knowledge and standing
may be like adding salt to injury"
The association however advised the Customs management to approach the National Assembly to make necessary amendments in the composition of the Board and appointments into the Nigeria Customs Service to exclude outsiders from being the CGC.
"The present Board and appointment as it is presently situated shall continue to subject the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs to unwholesome situations of this nature where it is most likely that they may not aspire to the highest position in the Service"
"There is another school of thought, as discovered by the strategic group of NAGAFF, that the rumour to privatize the revenue function of the Customs could be part of the reasons to bring a neutral person to clear imagined threat of sabotage to that effect" it said.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/nagaff-kicks-against-appointment-customs-cg-hameed-alli-%E2%80%8E
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