APC Chieftain Backs Merit-Based Tenure Extension for Customs Officers

Khamis Musa Darazo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, has called for merit-based tenure extensions for deserving senior officers within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). Darazo believes this measure is crucial for sustaining the ongoing reforms within the service.

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Under the strategic direction of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Customs is demonstrating that effective revenue mobilization and stronger border management can move together.

Darazo commended the NCS for its significant achievements in revenue mobilization, border management, and trade facilitation, attributing these successes to the Federal Government's economic reform program. He highlighted the Customs Service's vital role in generating non-oil revenue, promoting trade, and enhancing national security. The strategic direction provided by the Federal Ministry of Finance, he noted, has enabled the service to prioritize revenue performance, technology adoption, compliance, and coordinated border operations.

"Under the strategic direction of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Customs is demonstrating that effective revenue mobilization and stronger border management can move together," Darazo stated. He emphasized that improved Customs revenue provides essential fiscal space for critical development programs, including infrastructure and social interventions. He also stressed the need for closer cooperation among security and border management agencies to combat smuggling, support legitimate businesses, and secure the nation's borders.

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This is the practical meaning of Renewed Hope: stronger institutions, improved revenue mobilisation, safer borders and a more efficient environment for legitimate businesses.

Darazo welcomed the NCS's digitalization and trade modernization initiatives, asserting that efficient and transparent customs procedures benefit legitimate businesses while strengthening controls against illicit trade. He described these efforts as the practical embodiment of the "Renewed Hope" agenda, fostering stronger institutions, better revenue generation, safer borders, and an improved environment for businesses. Consequently, he urged the Federal Government to consider performance-based continuity for senior officers, including potential tenure extensions for those in ranks like Deputy Comptroller-General and Assistant Comptroller-General, provided they demonstrate competence and contribute to measurable improvements, aligning with institutional needs and reform consolidation.

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We are at a critical stage of institutional reform. Where members of the management team have demonstrated competence and contributed to measurable improvements, the government should consider continuity as part of responsible su