This post has already been read 260 times!

Abuja — The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Rt. Hon. Leke Joseph Abejide, has attributed the impending retirement of more than 1,500 officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to long-standing structural challenges caused by a 16-year recruitment and promotion gap, dismissing suggestions that the development is linked to succession plans within the agency.

Abejide made the clarification amid growing controversy surrounding the expected appointment of Deputy Comptroller I.D. Olorunfemi as the next Comptroller-General of Customs and reports alleging that senior officers were being compelled to retire to pave the way for a new leadership arrangement.

According to the lawmaker, the retirements currently taking place are in strict compliance with the Public Service Rules and are unrelated to any succession considerations.

He explained that officers are required by law to retire upon reaching the age of 60 years or after completing 35 years in service, stressing that the process is statutory rather than discretionary.

Abejide noted that the Customs Service is presently grappling with the consequences of a prolonged period during which recruitment and career advancement opportunities were largely frozen, creating a significant imbalance in the personnel structure of the organisation.

He said the recruitment vacuum resulted in large groups of officers advancing through the ranks almost simultaneously, thereby creating a concentration of personnel at the upper levels of the service.

According to him, officers within the 41000, 42000 and 43000 service number categories experienced similar promotion timelines due to the stagnation, resulting in an unusually large number of senior officers approaching retirement at the same time.

The committee chairman described the situation as a natural outcome of workforce dynamics that accumulated over many years rather than a consequence of any recent administrative decision.

He disclosed that over 1,500 officers are expected to exit the service under the provisions of Public Service Rule 100238, adding that the development reflects the enforcement of established regulations and not any effort to restructure the leadership hierarchy.

Abejide further rejected claims that he has personal interests in the ongoing succession process, dismissing reports alleging family ties or political connections with the officer being tipped for the top Customs position.

He stated that he has no personal relationship with the nominee beyond recent official interactions and has no involvement in efforts to influence the leadership transition.

The lawmaker maintained that succession planning within the Nigeria Customs Service is being conducted in accordance with established procedures and is intended to ensure continuity, stability and institutional effectiveness.

He also emphasized that the transition process following the six-month tenure extension granted to the current Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, remains firmly within the framework of public service regulations.

Abejide insisted that no senior officer is being unfairly targeted, unlawfully retired or sidelined in favour of another officer, stressing that all personnel decisions are being guided by the provisions of the law.

The clarification comes as stakeholders continue to monitor developments within the Nigeria Customs Service, where debates over succession planning have intensified ahead of the emergence of a substantive Comptroller-General.