No plans to install my cousin as Customs CG – Lawmaker

The lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has rebuked claims of a plot to install his cousin, H.O. Olorunfemi, as the next Controller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service.

The current Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, is due for retirement in the next six months.

However, Abejide, who addressed journalists at the weekend in Abuja, said he was not related to Olorunfemi in any way except that they are from the same state.

He described claims of his influence circulating on social media as spurious and beneath his person.

According to him, the expected elevation of Olorunfemi is in line with civil service rules as the next officer in line.

He clarified that no officer of the service would be retired unduly because of Olorunfemi’s promotion.

He recalled how he strengthened the rules of the service through legislation to ensure that non-career personnel do not head the service.

He said, “For 16 years, there was no recruitment. All this story that I brought out a lower rank officer. It is not true. He is not lower rank officer.

“He is a the deputy controller of customs. In Nigeria Custom Service, we have seen an Ordinary Assistant Controller, that became Assistant Controller General during Sani Nuhu’s period. It is nothing new because of the challenges they have.

“This one is not AC. He is a DC. And after them, there is nobody anymore.That is why I am going to give you this document for you to know that after this current Controller of Customs, who are retiring by September, who are retiring by September, all of them, it will be only three of them till December 23rd.

“There will be nobody except the people they call junior officer, who are deputy controllers now. They are the 2009 set.

“They were recruited by Dipo And do you even know one funny thing? The trillions you see Customs generating are works done by the boys boys.

“Because all these officers, they have reached 35 years of service, and some of them are 60 years of age.

“Definitely, if they were picked already, there is no option. Because if there is option, the President would not have done this second extension.

“It is still the same people they refer to as Deputy Controller General of Customs; they are the ones to take over from this current CG.

“Nobody, apart from them, because of that 16-year gap.”

He called on the general public to verify information before spreading fake news.