A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Col. Hameed Ali as the new Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, considering the fact that he is not a customs officer.
According to The Punch, Ozekhome who spoke via a statement said that the appointment was illegal and contrary to section 3:11:1 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria official gazette (2002), as Ali is a retired soldier and not a product of the customs.
He also wondered if the President was indirectly stating that there was no competent person among the six serving Deputy Comptroller-Generals of Customs.
He said: “The appointment of Hameed Ali has, particularly, raised serious issues of propriety, having been brought in from outside the customs service. By Section 3:11:1 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria official gazette No 24, vol 89, dated March 25, 2002, the choice of the CG of Customs shall be by appointment of a suitable Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs.
“Some unrepentant apologists have already argued, surprisingly, that a gazette is not a law, and so President Buhari was not obliged to follow the extant gazette in appointing one of the six serving Deputy Comptrollers-General of Customs as the CG.
“They even argue, tongue in cheek, that he could not find an officer amongst the six DCGs that is incorruptible. Jesus! Why not dissolve the entire Customs then and set up a fresh one?
“In any event, even if past governments did wrong in bringing in ‘outsiders’ to head Customs, thus demoralising the psyche of career officers, who have spent their lives serving the nation, hoping to rise to the zenith of their careers, why should President Buhari’s government which promised change, repeat same?
“Is it not meant to be change from past bad habits, actions, inactions, maladministration, etc? Was that not why Nigerians voted for him and against Goodluck Jonathan’s government?”
