MAJOR SHAKE-UP IN CUSTOMS, AS EJIBUNU, KOLADE & SHUAIBU ARE REDEPLOYED

BY GODWIN OBI

A major shake-up has occurred at the Commands’ level of the Nigeria Customs Service as three ace Area Controllers have been moved to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja while new ones are to replace them.

With the imminent retirement of some top level management staff this year, the three Customs helmsmen – Comptrollers Hussein Ejibunu, Kayode Kolade and Wada are primed to fill in some of the vacant management positions at the Headquarters if the 60 year age limit does not catch up with them.

Leading the pack of the new officers at the commands are the resourceful Comptroller Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu who has been moved to the Federal Operations Unit, zone B, Kaduna, while Compt Oladeji takes charge at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, where Ejibunu no doubt has left an indelible mark in the prosecution of the anti-smuggling war, raking in seizures running into billions of naira in the two and half years he held sway.

Compt Igbadi MIC will try to wear the big shoes left behind by the anti-smuggling Czar –Comptroller Kayode Kolade whose record at the FOU, Owerri is unprecedented inspite of his short stint at the zone. Compt Salefu will be heading to FOU Zone D, while Compt Adegbite will be superintending at the PTML Command as the new boss.

Compt Ojo will be calling the shots at Ogun I, Idiroko, while Compt M.I Awe will replace the anti-smuggling and revenue Chief, Compt M.S Yusuf at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Command (MMAC).

Compt Bamisaye will be at the saddle at Western Marine Command as Compt Babandede proceeds to Onne Command in Rivers State to replace Imam who will now be in charge of Import and Export at the Headquarters. Also, Compt Luka will be heading to Imo/Abia Command as the Area Controller. Most of the officers affected have been signing their staff orders in Abuja in readiness to take over in their new Commands next week.

Compt Oloyede is said to be elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller General with two Deputy Comptrollers General – Saidu Galadima and MBA Musa, as well as another three DCGs going latest August this year, the Service is struggling to bridge the gap created by their exits to ensure there is no lacuna in its operations.

This is the first major re-organisation by the Comptroller-General of the Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, since he came on board nine months ago. Not in a hurry to make changes, Adeniyi brought in spectacular strategies which the departing area controllers he inherited from Col Ali applied in their respective commands to bolster the revenue generation and recorded the highest seizures of goods the Service has experienced in the last ten years.

There is no doubt the fact that Comptrollers Ejibunu and Kolade left big shoes, and with close monitoring from Abuja Headquarters, the new sheriffs at the commands will build on the huge successes that are currently on ground.