Customs Boss, Abdullahi Voluntarily Retires:

Buhari accepts his resignation I’m not afraid, says retiring Customs boss

President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the decision of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, to voluntarily retire from service.

Abdullahi is expected to proceed on his voluntary retirement from Tuesday.

He had earlier written a letter dated August 3 to the president in which he notified Buhari of his desire to proceed on voluntary retirement. While speaking about his retirement at another forum in Abuja Monday, Abdullahi said he was not afraid of being probed after leaving office, considering his achievements while he held sway at the revenue generating agency.

Buhari’s approval of Abdullahi’s request was dated August 14 and personally signed by him (the president).

He thanked the NCS boss for his services to the country in the last six years.

Abdullahi’s letter was titled: ‘voluntary Retirement from the Nigeria Customs Service.’

The approval reads: “Dear, Alhaji D.I. Abdullahi. I write to acknowledge the receipt of your letter Ref. No. NCS/ADM/HQ/P. 35802 of August 3, 2015 conveying your decision to voluntarily retire from the Nigeria Customs Service with effect from Tuesday, 18th August, 2015. “I note with appreciation your service to this nation, especially as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service in the last six (6) years.

“Accordingly, I hereby approve your voluntary retirement from the Nigeria Customs Service with effect from 18th August 2015.

“I wish you the very best in your future endeavours.

“Yours sincerely, Muhammadu Buhari.” Abdullahi had in his letter to the president thanked him for the confidence and trust reposed in him since he (Buhari) was inaugurated on May 29.

He said by August 18, he would be six years in office as the comptroller-general of the NCS.

Abdullahi recalled that on assumption of office, he articulated six-point agenda which he vigorously pursued.

He said the agenda had positively impacted on the efficiency and performance of officers of the service and had drastically changed the negative perception of the service.

The NCS listed the six-point agenda to include capacity building, introduction of e-customs, enhancing productivity through improved welfare package, moral rebirth for discipline and integrity in service, collaboration and partnering with stakeholders and international organisations, as well as fostering understanding of the Service in the eye of the general public using an intensified and a well-coordinated public relations platform.

Abdullahi claimed that while he was at the helms of affair, the revenue collection into various coffers of government increased significantly.

According to him, the service’s average monthly collection in 2009 when he took over was about N29billion, adding that the average monthly collection is currently between N90billion and N100billion.

He hinged his decision to embark on voluntary resignation on the need to allow younger people take over the mantle of leadership of the service in order to sustain and improve on his legacy.

Excerpts from the resignation letter read: “While thanking Your Excellency and indeed Nigerians for the opportunity to serve and contribute my quota to the development of our fatherland, I wish to seek approval of Your Excellency to be allowed to retire voluntarily on 18th August 2015.

“This decision is taken with a view to allowing young blood to takeover the mantle of leadership of the Service in order to sustain and improve on my legacy.” No successor has been appointed yet.

Meanwhile Abdullahi stressed that: “The only way the NCS can move forward is by sacrifice to give chance to others so that they can continue with the legacy that we have put in place.”

Asked whether he was afraid that his activities in office could be probed by the Buhari’s administration, Abdullahi said: “We have no fear.”

Reeling out his achievements in office in the last five years, Abdullahi said “Revenue appreciated by 20 per cent from when I took over and the officers that did the work are still around and I think that the NCS, I stand to be corrected, this is the only service that is fully automated in the system of operation.

“We have no fear. The time I’m leaving is the time I feel those young ones who have developed the software can come up and manage the software.

So, that is basically the reason and I’m sending out this signal to all those who have stayed put. Don’t stay until they asked you to go.

“When you feel you have done so much and you believe in the system you have built, then why do you stay? Why don’t you be an umpire? stand by the side and watch and advise. The president has told me that at any given time I feel like giving advise as a revenue officer that I should not hesitate. So, which means I’m still around.”