Officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) expect improved welfare packages and conditions of service as the Service’s management defends its 2024 budget of N706.43b before the National Assembly
Good news greets officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in 2024 as the Service has proposed a budget of N706.43 billion to pay salaries, run its operations and undertake capital projects in 2024, said the Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi.
Speaking while defending the NCS 2024 budget before the Senate Committee on Customs at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Monday, February 5, 2024, Adeniyi said the service would focus attention on consolidating projects carried over from last year, increasing staff welfare by improving and motivating officers’ performance, and integrating technologies into customs processes.
The Customs boss also promised to surpass the NCS 2024 revenue target of N5.079 trillion.
He said, “We intend to grant waivers to vehicle owners to pay duties within a specific time to avoid sanctions and to regularise the importation of vehicles through payment of duties.
Adeniyi disclosed that the service has planned to recruit additional 1,600 personnel in 2024.
“The low figure is due to the small vacancies we have available. These vacancies are primarily for junior staff who will carry out customs operations and guard duties. In subsequent years, more recruitment exercises will be carried out,” he said.
In another development, the NCS has clarified that its officers were “not in any way involved in the circumstances leading to the death of a teenager at the Jibia Border Area of Katsina State on Saturday”.
Reports had it that a 14 year-old-boy named Mushin Ibrahim was killed recently at the border when a bus being chased by officials of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone B of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) allegedly rammed into bystanders in Jibia, Katsina State.
The incident occurred at about 11am around Tudun Wada Primary School, Tashar Huraira, Jibia.
The customs officers, according to eyewitnesses, had allegedly run away from the scene after the incident occurred without rendering any form of assistance to the victim.
The driver of the J5 bus, which was said to have run into the bystanders, claimed that he did not have contraband items in his vehicle. He reportedly said he was only transporting soya beans from Batsari to Jibia, both within Katsina State.
But in a statement issued on Monday, February 5, 2024, Customs National Public Relations Officer (NPRO), Abdullahi Maiwada, extended condolences to the family of the deceased but insisted that customs officials were not involved in the accident.
According to Maiwada, “Our attention has been drawn to the devastating loss of a young life in the Jibia Border Area of Katsina State on Saturday, February 3, 2024. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the innocent teenager whose life was tragically cut short.
“It is pertinent to address the misinformation circulating in the media regarding the reported killing of the teenager by a reckless driver of a J5 vehicle. The Federal Operations Unit Zone B, headquartered in Kaduna, covers 10 states plus the FCT, including Katsina, where the Jibia border is situated.
“We wish to clarify that our operatives neither drove the J5 vehicle nor intercepted it during the reported incident, contrary to some press allegations of the involvement of our officers. Preliminary reports revealed that the J5 vehicle was transporting soya beans, and the driver is currently in police custody pending further investigation.”
