A retired Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ralph Nwadike
has chided the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali for
overstepping his bounds by unbanning and banning the importation of rice
through the land borders.
Nwadike, who served as Customs Area Controller of Kirikiri Lighter
Terminal Command of the NCS before his retirement about ten years ago,
said Customs had no powers to make policies.
He said, “Customs cannot impose ban or remove ban because they are
not in charge of the tariff. They are supposed to implement whatever
government has said.
“So if actually customs removed the ban and introduced the ban on
whatever, then that shows you that the system is wrong because they are
civil servants, they are suppose to serve what government asks them to
do.
“The ban must come from those who handle fiscal policy and they must
look at the implications of banning or not banning on the fiscal
policy.”
He also kicked against the appointment of a non-Customs officer,
Hameed Ali as Customs Comptroller-General saying that the development
does not bode well for the future of the NCS.
Nwadike said, “The issue in the customs; it is high time we become
realistic about it. I don’t have anything against anybody but in a
situation where you bring somebody from outside to come and be in charge
of the system, it means you have no regard for the system, it means you
have no regard for human feelings.
“Psychologically, any person that is psychologically sound would
really feel uncomfortable when you bring somebody without explaining why
that person has to be above him. For example, when I was in customs,
they brought in Dr Bello as the Director of Customs. What criterion was
used? Nothing.
“Dr Bello read veterinary medicine. Now, what does a veterinary
doctor know to make him better than some social scientists that have
reached the rank of a Comptroller in customs?”
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