Assets declaration: Customs officials rush to beat deadline

Customs officers across the country are rushing to beat the 14 day deadline given them to declare their assets,The Nation gathered yesterday.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) , Mr. Wale Adeniyi confirmed  that officers and men  were already declaring their assets as directed by the Comptroller- General of the NCS, Retired Col. Hammed Alli last week.

He said the asset declaration forms are being deposited with the Code of Conduct Bureau ( CCB) for appropriate action.

He referred The Nation to the bureau for further information,saying: “the best place to find out is the Code of Conduct. They (officers) don’t fill the form and bring it back to Customs.  It is an individual action.

“There are those who filled it earlier in the year; there are those who fill it regularly.”

“It is the Code of Conduct Bureau that can say the rate of compliance. The Code of Conduct Bureau office is all over the federation but the responsibility of filling the form rest with the officers. But left for me, I have collected the form, I have filled it and I have submitted. They (the officers) all have the obligation of and filling the forms,” Adeniyi said by phone

The Comptroller- General of the NCS, Retired Col. Hammed Alli had last week directed the officers to declare their assets within two weeks.”

An officer that spoke with our Abuja correspondent on the condition of anonymity said that asset declaration is not a pleasant exercise that one would expect them to do with relish.

He likened the exercise to salaries that people would hardly disclose to their loved ones and associates.

Speaking with The Nation, another female officer said “journalist, who will happily disclose how much he has in his account to you? Who will happily declare the number of houses he owns in this country when the outcome is not for any reward but a punishment?

“Please, don’t ask me how I feel declaring my asset.It is like asking me how I feel when I am doing something forcefully.

Asked whether their colleagues were complying with the directive, a female officer said “We have no choice. We must comply to retain our jobs. But nobody will show you the details of his asset declaration form.”

THE NATION