Abejide Denies Family Ties in Customs Appointment, Insists No Officer Was Forced Into Retirement
Abejide Denies Family Ties in Customs Appointment, Insists No Officer Was Forced Into Retirement
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide, has dismissed allegations linking him to the reported appointment of a new Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), insisting that claims of family ties and forced retirement of senior officers are false and misleading.
Abejide was reacting to reports suggesting that the emergence of Deputy Controller I.D. Olorunfemi as the next Customs chief would lead to the compulsory retirement of hundreds of senior officers and that he played a role in influencing the process because of an alleged family relationship. He described the allegations as baseless and lacking factual foundation.
According to the lawmaker, retirements within the Nigeria Customs Service are guided strictly by the Public Service Rules, which require officers to leave service upon attaining 60 years of age or completing 35 years in service. He stressed that no officer can be retired arbitrarily to create vacancies for another appointment.
Abejide explained that the Customs Service is currently experiencing a wave of retirements due to a prolonged recruitment gap that lasted about 16 years. The situation, he noted, created a large concentration of officers within similar rank categories who are now reaching retirement age almost simultaneously.
He further clarified that the expected transition in Customs leadership is intended to ensure continuity and stability within the agency, especially as key reforms initiated under the current Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, continue to be implemented. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently approved a six-month extension of Adeniyi’s tenure to allow him complete ongoing reforms and facilitate an orderly succession process.
Rejecting claims of personal connections to the reported successor, Abejide stated that he has no family or personal relationship with Olorunfemi and only became acquainted with him recently in the course of official engagements. He maintained that the appointment process remains lawful and transparent.
The lawmaker urged stakeholders and the public to disregard misinformation capable of creating unnecessary tension within the Customs Service, emphasizing that all decisions regarding appointments and retirements are guided by established laws and institutional procedures.
As discussions continue over the future leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service, observers say the focus should remain on institutional reforms, operational efficiency, and maintaining stability within one of Nigeria’s key revenue-generating agencies.
