APC chieftain backs merit-based tenure extension for customs officers

By Christopher Ameh, Bauchi

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State and supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Khamis Musa Darazo, has called for merit-based tenure extensions for deserving senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as part of efforts to sustain ongoing reforms in the service.

Darazo, in a statement issued on Thursday, commended the NCS for what he described as significant progress in revenue mobilisation, border management and trade facilitation under the Federal Government’s economic reform programme.

He said the reforms had further positioned the Customs Service as a critical institution for generating non-oil revenue, facilitating trade and strengthening national security.

According to him, the strategic direction provided by the Federal Ministry of Finance had encouraged the service to focus more on revenue performance, technology, compliance and coordinated border operations.

“Under the strategic direction of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Customs is demonstrating that effective revenue mobilisation and stronger border management can move together.

“We are seeing greater attention to revenue performance, technology, compliance and coordinated border operations,” he said.

Darazo identified revenue generation, border security and trade facilitation as areas requiring sustained attention, noting that improved Customs revenue would provide additional fiscal space for infrastructure, social interventions and other development programmes.

He also called for closer cooperation between the NCS and other security and border-management agencies to curb smuggling, protect legitimate businesses and secure the country’s borders.

The APC chieftain welcomed the digitalisation and trade-modernisation initiatives of the service, saying efficient and transparent Customs procedures would reduce the burden on legitimate businesses while strengthening controls against illicit trade.

“This is the practical meaning of Renewed Hope: stronger institutions, improved revenue mobilisation, safer borders and a more efficient environment for legitimate businesses,” he said.

Against this backdrop, Darazo urged the Federal Government to consider performance-based continuity for senior Customs officers, including possible tenure extensions for deserving officers in the ranks of Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG), Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG), Comptroller (CC) and Deputy Comptroller (DC), where permitted by law and relevant regulations.

He stressed, however, that such extensions should not amount to preferential treatment or indefinite tenure for individuals.

Rather, he said, continuity should be based on measurable performance, institutional needs and the need to consolidate reforms.

“We are at a critical stage of institutional reform. Where members of the management team have demonstrated competence and contributed to measurable improvements, the government should consider continuity as part of responsible succession planning.

“The objective is not to protect individuals; it is to protect institutional gains,” he said.

Darazo argued that a carefully structured extension could also allow experienced officers to mentor younger personnel and facilitate a smooth transition to the next generation of Customs leadership.

He proposed that any extension should be targeted, merit-based, time-bound and subject to the required statutory approvals.

“A carefully structured one- to two-year continuity arrangement, where legally permissible and justified by performance, could provide room for mentoring, succession planning and the consolidation of major reforms.

“It would also allow the Service to prepare the next generation of leadership without creating an abrupt institutional transition,” he said.

He noted that the Customs Service performs multiple functions, including revenue collection, trade facilitation, enforcement and border control, making leadership stability important to effective coordination.

Darazo therefore urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, the NCS Board and other relevant authorities to assess the issue of leadership continuity based on performance, institutional requirements and the national interest.

“Nigeria must protect every reform that is producing results. If continuity is legally available and supported by objective performance assessments, it should not be dismissed simply because leadership transitions are expected.

“The overriding consideration must be what best protects Nigeria’s revenue, trade and national-security interests,” he said.

Darazo reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the success of economic reforms depended not only on introducing new policies but also on sustaining institutional changes that delivered measurable results.

“Renewed Hope is not only about introducing reforms; it is also about ensuring that successful reforms are sustained.

“Where Customs management has demonstrated results, experience and capacity, continuity should be considered as a strategic tool for consolidating those gains and preparing the institution for a stronger future,” he said.

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