The Nigerian House of Representatives has summoned the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, to appear before its Committee on Public Petitions following an alarming issue concerning senior officers refusing to retire despite reaching their mandatory retirement age.
This comes on the heels of a petition submitted by the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, which claims that certain high-ranking officers within the NCS, including Assistant Comptrollers Imam, Umar, and Egwu, as well as Comptrollers Awe, Fatia, and Faith, have been deliberately holding on to their posts, even though they are well past their due retirement dates.
The petition alleges that these officials’ continued presence in the service has left younger officers with fewer opportunities for career advancement, a claim that has now sparked heated discussions within the halls of power.
In response, the Public Petitions Committee has stated that the Customs boss must answer for the situation and clarify the reasons behind the officers’ refusal to retire. According to a statement released by Chooks Oko, Media Head for the Committee, “The Comptroller General must appear before the Committee to explain the circumstances surrounding this issue. Nigerians deserve to understand the truth behind these delays.”
Mike Etaba, Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, made it clear that the House of Representatives will not tolerate such actions. “In this era, when our youth are looking for job opportunities, it is utterly inappropriate for senior officers to cling to their positions and deny younger Nigerians the chance to grow within the service,” Etaba said.
He further emphasized the Committee’s neutrality in the investigation, stressing that they would treat the case with fairness, ensuring that justice is served to all parties involved. “We are not here to take sides, but to ensure that our government agencies function effectively for the benefit of the people,” Etaba added.
This move by the House of Representatives highlights the growing frustration with the prevalence of officials in various sectors, including the police, who have continued to defy retirement rules, often citing age discrepancies or questionable extensions to their tenures. In recent weeks, reports surfaced of senior officers in the Nigerian Police Force similarly refusing to retire after surpassing their retirement age or completing their mandated years of service.
Just days earlier, tensions within the police force had escalated as a group of senior officers who had reached the retirement age of 60 or completed 35 years of service threatened to drag the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, into a legal battle. These officers argued that his extended tenure set a precedent that should apply to them as well. However, the Nigerian Police Force has taken steps to address the issue, with the Force Disciplinary Committee convening to handle cases involving age falsification and officers who have exceeded their service limits.
NIMC Director General Faces Arrest Threat
In a separate but equally concerning development, the House of Representatives has turned its attention to the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), whose refusal to appear before the Public Petitions Committee to explain her actions regarding a controversial contract dispute has raised alarm bells.
According to a statement by the Committee, NIMC’s Director General has been accused of failing to honour a financial agreement with Truid Limited, a private firm that developed a tokenisation system for the Commission. Truid Limited claims that it had funded, developed, and deployed the system without any initial financial support from NIMC, based on an agreement that allowed the company to recoup its investment through service provider fees, shared according to a specified ratio over a ten-year period starting in 2021.
However, the petitioners allege that since the appointment of the new NIMC Director General, the terms of the agreement have been disrupted. Truid Limited’s legal representative, E.R. Opara, expressed concerns over NIMC’s refusal to honour the agreement, suggesting that the Commission had sought to terminate the contract without providing the promised compensation.
Mike Etaba’s frustration with the NIMC Director General’s continued absence was palpable. “We have invited her repeatedly to provide clarity on this issue, but she has refused to show up. This is not only disrespectful to this Committee, but also to the people she serves. If she fails to appear at the next hearing, we will have no choice but to direct the Inspector General of Police to bring her in,” Etaba warned, adding, “The government cannot allow its officials to treat constituted authorities with such disdain.”
A Pattern of Defiance
The Customs Service controversy is not an isolated case. The refusal of senior officials in various Nigerian government agencies to retire has become an increasingly significant issue in the country. Similar concerns have been raised within the Nigerian Police Force, where a number of senior officers have also pushed back against retirement orders. This pattern has sparked public outcry, with many questioning whether there is a systemic issue that allows these individuals to hold onto their positions despite regulations mandating their departure.
The refusal to retire not only stifles opportunities for younger employees but also perpetuates a culture of entitlement and stagnation in critical institutions. The prolonged presence of such officers in positions of power also raises questions about accountability and governance, particularly when these officials seemingly enjoy extended tenures without clear legal or procedural justification.
It is clear that the Nigerian government, through the House of Representatives and other bodies, is under increasing pressure to address this issue head-on. The coming hearings will likely provide a closer look into the extent of the problem, the roles of the senior officials involved, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s public service system.
In the meantime, the political and legal landscape will likely see more action from the House of Representatives and other agencies, as they strive to hold public officials accountable and ensure that the rules are followed in both the Customs Service and other government institutions.
