Conflicting Reports Trail Customs Officers’ Compliance - Declaration Of Assets

Assets declaration: Conflicting reports trail Customs officers’ compliance

We all read about the Assets declaration, now full working has pass after Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (retd) mandated personnel to declare their assets, conflicting reports are trailing the directive.

Last Friday, Ali directed Customs officers to declare their assets in compliance with he Bank Employees Declaration of Assets Act Cap B1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The directive on assets declaration was contained in a circular signed by the Comptroller General which was addressed to all Deputy Comptrollers General, Zonal Coordinators and Customs Area Controllers. He gave them 14 days to do so.

We gathered yesterday, Daily Sun gathered that NCS officers besieged the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to obtain the Assets Declaration Form, in compliance with Ali’s directive to show transparency and also, in compliance with the rule of law.

Checks at the Bureau yesterday showed that top officers of the service had invaded the Bureau, struggling to obtain a copy of the assets declaration form.

A source at the Bureau told Daily Sun that CCB came under immense pressure “by the influx of men and officers of the service.”

Back at the NCS headquarters, another report indicated that the officers were yet to fully comply with Ali’s directive. Although they have two weeks to declare their assets, an officer who would not like to be named told Daily Sun that he had just heard the directive and called at the CCB but was not given any asset declaration form.

When Daily Sun called at the NCS headquarters, the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wale Adeniyi insisted that officers would comply with the directive and denied any tension among officers.

“Are you not here in our headquarters, did you notice any tension or panic over the directives to declare assets?

“You should be aware that officers have up to two weeks to do so. I am wondering why people were too keen about the development, which is normal with the civil service and government,” he said.

Adeniyi told Daily Sun that even if officers were complying with the directive, “they will not go to tell the Comptroller General or any of his aides that they have done so.

“If you want to know the level of compliance, why not go to the CCB where they have been asked to go to declare their assets?” Although Ali’s directive on assets declaration covers bank employees; it also empowers the president to extend its application to other categories of persons.