Customs CG’s Tenure Extension: Nigerians Condemn Decision That Denies Others Opportunity to Rise

By Raheem Ibrahim

Negative reactions have continued to trail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to extend the tenure of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, by one year.

Among the critics is Lauretta Onochie, former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and a former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari. She described the decision as a violation of civil service rules and regulations, which she said would deprive other qualified officers of the opportunity to attain the top position before their retirement.

“Adeniyi’s retirement was scheduled for this August, marking 35 years of service since he joined the Customs in August 1990. With Mr. President’s decision, the next person in rank, DCG BU Nwafor, who hails from Anambra State and is expected to retire in October 2026, will not have the opportunity to hold the position,” Onochie said.

According to media reports, DCG BU Nwafor is the next in line after Adeniyi and is due for retirement in October 2026, when she would have attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.

Reacting to a post on X (formerly Twitter), which accused President Tinubu of denying Nwafor the opportunity to become Comptroller General, Onochie gave several reasons she believes Nwafor was sidelined, particularly citing her gender and state of origin.

She wrote:

“Under President @officialABAT, nothing is in her favour because she’s a woman. She has no husband in the Villa, no boyfriend in the Villa, no brother in the Villa, she is not from Bourdillon, she has no governor’s backing, and she is from Anambra State.”

A senior Customs officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed disappointment over the development. While acknowledging that CGC Adeniyi’s tenure has witnessed improvements in revenue generation and staff welfare, the officer said it would have been better to allow him retire in line with civil service rules.

“But he should have been allowed to go when his time was up, so as not to deprive others of their chance. This kind of decision dampens the morale of officers who had hoped to rise to the rank of CGC. Now that the process has been politicized, we are discouraged because if you don’t belong to the powers that be, you might never get to the peak of your career,” he said.

He further added, “And we dare not complain, or we risk being dealt with. You could be forced into early retirement or framed for misconduct, leading to loss of your gratuity.”