Customs gives officers 14 days to declare assets

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has given all its officers and men 14 days  to make full disclosure of their assets in a new measure put in place to push transparency and compliance with the rule of law.

NCS spokesman Wale Adeniyi issued a statement Friday said the directive on assets declaration was contained in a circular signed by Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of customs, and addressed to all deputy comptrollers-general, zonal  coordinators and customs area controllers.

''All Officers are to comply with the directive within 14 days,'' it said. ''According to the circular, the directive on assets declaration is in compliance with 'The Bank Employees Declaration of Assets Act Cap B1 Laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004. Although the Act provides for asset declaration by all bank employees, it also empowers the president to extend its application to other categories of persons. Specifically, section 12 (1) states that 'the provision of this Act shall apply to the comptroller-general, deputy comptroller-general, assistant comptroller-general, chief collector, principal collector  and other Officer, staff or employee of the Nigeria customs service as they apply to a chief executive or an employee of a bank.' The comptroller-general observed that many Officers have not complied with the provisions of the Act over the years, stating that the 14-day ultimatum for compliance will be strictly enforced.''

Ali’s directive comes two weeks after an undercover investigation by TheCable, which detailed how government was being short-changed by bribery and corruption involving various caadres of men of the service.