Customs: Hamza Gummi Tipped to Replace Hameed Ali, Made Subordinate to PSO

Eromosele Abiodun

The much expected assumption of a career customs officer as Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) may not happen as expected as Deputy Comptroller Hamza Gummi is being considered for the office but will be subordinate to a principal staff officer (PSO).

It was learnt that top All Progressives Congress politicians from the North West have started rooting for Gummi, who is presently in charge of tariff and trade

The plan by the group promoting his emergence is to achieve a CG in uniform that will be subject to an unseen PSO who will be brought from outside the service.

This, according to sources within the customs, is to sustain the legacies of current Comptroller General of the NCS, Hameed Ali including continuation of the customs modernisation project that has become controversial and subject of litigation. They believe that DCG Hamza Gummi will be the most amenable to continuation of Ali’s plan. 

Ali a retired colonel from Nigerian Army who has held sway as CGC for over seven years has been unable to pull the $3.1b customs modernisation deal through due to perceived differences by different parties.

Under the present arrangement, there is a PSO, who is a serving general in the army, but working at the customs headquarters which many customs officers view as an anomaly in a customs management setting. 

Several customs officers who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed belief in an improved paramilitary service when a serving customs officer is assigned to lead the NCS.