Sahara Reporters: Rep. Abejide Clarifies Customs Appointment, Says Tinubu Tackled 16-Year Promotion Gap
Hon. Leke Abejide has clarified the controversy surrounding the Nigeria Customs Service leadership change, explaining that President Bola Tinubu’s appointment was aimed at resolving a 16-year promotion gap and restoring stability within the service.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide, has provided clarification on the recent leadership transition within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), dismissing claims that he influenced the appointment of a new Comptroller General of Customs.
Abejide, who represents Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was based on the need to correct a long-standing structural challenge within the service rather than personal influence or favour.
The lawmaker made the clarification following a report by SaharaReporters suggesting that he played a role in the selection of a junior officer for the top Customs position.
Rejecting the claim, Abejide said he had no personal connection with the officer appointed by President Tinubu and had never had any relationship with him before the appointment.
“I have no relationship with the person the President has appointed to take over from the current situation. I don’t know his parents. He has never been close to me, and despite my years of engagement with Customs, I have never met him,” he stated.
Abejide explained that the major issue affecting the Nigeria Customs Service was a 16-year promotion gap that created an imbalance in the leadership structure of the organisation.
According to him, the situation had produced a challenge where several senior officers were approaching retirement at almost the same period, creating the possibility of a leadership vacuum.
He described the structure as an “inverted pyramid”, where the service had a large number of senior officers but a limited number of officers coming behind them due to the prolonged gap in progression.
“The pyramid of Customs is very big at the top and small at the bottom. By September, many of them will be out of service because they have attained the required retirement age,” he explained.
The lawmaker noted that officers with service numbers in the 41,000, 42,000 and 43,000 categories were due for retirement, leaving the 44,000 series, which represents the 2006 entry batch, as the next logical group for leadership transition.
He said President Tinubu’s appointment of an officer from the 2006 batch was a strategic decision aimed at stabilising the service and ensuring continuity.
“The only way to close that gap was to pick from the 2006 batch, which the President has done. This is the correct progression because after 41,000, 42,000 and 43,000, the next is 44,000,” Abejide stated.
The lawmaker stressed that the move was in line with civil service principles and the President’s broader objective of strengthening government institutions.
He added that the reform was necessary to position the Customs Service for improved efficiency and bring its structure closer to international best practices.
“We are doing what is necessary to make the service stable and close the gap with global standards. That is what the President is focused on,” he said.
Abejide reaffirmed his commitment as Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise to supporting reforms that would improve professionalism, accountability and effectiveness within the service.
He maintained that the development should be viewed from the perspective of institutional growth and continuity rather than political considerations.
As of the time of filing this report, SaharaReporters had not issued a response to Abejide’s clarification.