Appointment of CG Customs Now subject to Confirmation From Senate

The Senate, yesterday, passed the Repeal and Re-enactment Bill, 2017 of the Nigeria Customs Service Management Act, ensuring that the appointment of the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, would now be subject to its confirmation.

According to the Senate, the office of the C-G is sufficiently sensitive to warrant scrutiny to ensure the best possible candidate occupies the position.

With the passage of the bill, yesterday, the Senate has scrapped the Customs Governing Board, and replaced it with a service commission, which shall be headed by a chairman, who would be a retired career Comptroller-General or Deputy Comptroller-General, and who shall be appointed by the President for a period of four years.

According to the new bill, the chairman of the commission must be confirmed by the Senate, with one renewable tenure.

The commission would be responsible for managing policies of the NCS or matters pertaining to administration, assessment, collection and accounting for revenues, as may be directed by the Minister of Finance from time to time.

The new bill also said the commission would be responsible for managing all issues relating to employment, training, welfare, and discipline of officers of the NCS, with the approval of the appropriate authority of the Federal Government.

The passage of the bill followed clause by clause debate and discussions on the report by the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise presented by the Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo West).

On the appointment of the C-G, section 13 of the Bill made it very clear that only a person who is serving in the Customs service would be qualified to be so appointed.

The section read in part: “The President shall appoint from the Customs Service, subject to the confirmation of the Senate, a Comptroller-General who shall be responsible for the over all management of the Customs Service.’