The Nigeria Customs Service is not a
security agency. In fact, the customs service is under the Federal
Ministry of Finance, so it is an agency that is there to collect tax of
some sorts.
I don’t buy that argument that the CG
should be made to step down because he heads a security agency. Yes,
customs officers carry weapons against smugglers who also carry weapons,
but that is done by a special unit of customs. Their own is just to
protect themselves from smugglers who also wield weapons.
The issue of civil service rules does
not apply to him because his appointment is a political one. He was
appointed from outside the service. He is not someone who was recruited
into the service and is going up the ladder. He is just there probably
for a number of years or for the period that the All Progressives
Congress is in power. He is a public servant quite alright, but not a
civil servant.
- Adetokunbo Mumuni (Executive Director, Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project)
The fact that you are the
Comptroller-General of Customs does not mean you do not have the right
as a Nigerian to support a person politically. I don’t see anything
wrong in what he is doing. He is not a civil servant and so civil
service rules do not apply to him. The CG of customs is a political
appointee. Civil servants are people who work permanently for the
government. He is not one. It is like calling a minister or a
commissioner a civil servant, which is not true. A minister or a
commissioner can never be a civil servant. I don’t see any conflict of
interest here. A person who will be appointed as a commissioner will be a
politician; a person who will be appointed as a minister will be a
politician. So, what are we talking about? Only civil servants can be
accused of conflict of interest in this regard.
A political appointee is usually a
politician unless we want to deceive ourselves. Asking the man not to
engage in politics is like asking the Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Babatunde Fashola, not to comment on politics. It is like
saying Kayode Fayemi or the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi,
should not take part in politics. They are politicians and that is why
they were appointed as ministers.
Only civil servants can be accused of
conflict of interest for engaging in politics. A minister or a
commissioner is a politician; how will he not engage in politics? The
man that was called to head customs was a politician before his
appointment and that was why he was given the appointment.
A political appointee cannot be
subjected to civil service rules. It is only when you are a civil
servant that you can be subjected to them. That is the way I see it.
- Habeeb Whyte (Legal practitioner)
It is very inappropriate. It is absurd
and unheard of in a proper democratic setting. The customs boss is an
officer with the highest rank in the Nigeria Customs Service and must be
apolitical.
He should never lead a campaign organisation. He should only lead the customs service to greatness and effective service.
The office of the CG holds is a public
office. His loyalty and activities should be geared towards benefiting
Nigerians as a whole not for the President alone.
What he has done is a total disloyalty to the oath of office. It is apparent that he is taking sides with the executive.
As of now, the CG does not have the
image of a liberal-minded person. He is perceived to be on one side on
issues affecting our country’s leadership. He has been in the news for
one controversy or the other since 2015.
The decision of the customs CG would have been laudable if he resigned his position to take up the role of a campaign manager.
He is proving his loyalty to the
President and not to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is not
acceptable. It is unconstitutional and least expected of a man occupying
such a high public office.
His personal interest is now conflicting
with his official responsibilities. His open support and call to lead
Buhari’s campaign is an aberration and unconstitutional.
I am also not happy that the President
never made any attempt to correct the CG, knowing full well that the
position he has taken is inappropriate.
- Mr. Taiwo Otitolaye (Executive Director, Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy)
It is not proper for a serving head of a
government paramilitary organisation to lead the campaign team of
President Muhammadu Buhari. It is an assault on our national integrity
and the democratic process.
If the head of a security agency leads
the campaign of President Buhari, it means he is loyal to the President
and not to the country, which endangers our democracy and our democratic
process.
We call for his resignation with
immediate effect because he is biased, which is against the spirit of
the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he swore to
defend. He has shown open loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and not
to the country as a whole. So, such an action is debasing our national
institution in Nigeria.
Already, we have a failing system and
institutions in Nigeria. It is the law that heads of agencies and
security outfit owe allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
not to the President alone. This is a lesson to other heads of
paramilitary organisations and military organisations that they should
be professional in the discharge of their duties. They have to be
professional in serving the country rather than in serving an
individual.
We must build systems and institutions
and make sure that we uphold the professional tenets of those
institutions to ensure national growth. When heads of agencies and
security outfits debase the professional pillars of their institutions,
how then can we maintain strong institutions that will outlive
individuals? We must promote our institutions over and above persons.
The action of the customs CG is not
worthy of emulation and other heads must run away from such. It is not
healthy for our national growth and the sustenance of our democracy.
- Emmanuel Ado (Kaduna-based entrepreneur/ public affairs commentator)
Most of the people appointed by the
government to occupy political offices in a democracy are essentially
politicians. From this premise, you can take into consideration that we
are already in the political season and their nature is bound to play
out.
We must also not forget the fact that
both the customs CG and the President share a common background as
retired military officers and in the military, loyalty is total; it is
either you are loyal or you are not. He knows his boss better and as
occasion demands, he acts appropriately.
This is more about political correctness
than anything else. He serves in that capacity at the pleasure of the
President; he is not your conventional civil servant who is subject
wholly to civil service rules and if you also consider the way we play
politics in this part of the world, you will understand that he like
most of his colleagues who have changed the uniform for the agbada
(flowing gown) and has also learned how to behave like politicians. In
the season of politics like I said earlier, you expect politicians to
play the game the way they know how to play it the best.
No comments:
Post a Comment