By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said he appointed Mr Hameed Ali as the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs despite fierce opposition because of the confidence be had in him to deliver.
The President who spoke while commissioning the new Corporate Headquarters of the Customs in Abuja, said, “as for Hameed Ali, I asked him to be in charge of customs. No matter what people say about the late Sani Abacha, may his soul rest in peace.”
Buhari recalled that former Head of State, General Sani Abacha gave tough tasks to Ali when he served as military administrator of Kaduna State in the regime of the late dictator.
The President stated further that Abacha trusted Ali to execute major tasks, adding that this was why he also chose the retired Army Colonel for the very important task of restructuring the Service, reforming customs operations and raising revenue for the country through import duties.
Ali, a retired Army Colonel and former Military Administrator of Kaduna State under the late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha was appointed Customs CG in 2015.
His appointment was greeted with mixed feelings as some stakeholders queried the choice of bringing someone who was not a career customs officer to head the service.
“I knew him very well, when somehow he became president of this country, Head of State, the biggest problematic area was around Kaduna.
“He picked Colonel Hameed Ali and dumped the problems on him. My decision for Hameed Ali to come to customs was a deliberate one. I brought Colonel Hameed Ali to ensure that I have peace of mind.”
Buhari also said he closed the country’s land borders to encourage Nigerians to produce food for their consumption.
The President had ordered border closure in 2019, a policy which generated mixed feelings.
Many Nigerian farmers had commended the policy as they made huge revenue from rice farming, but traders who imported goods through the borders lamented the hardship caused by the policy.
Speaking further, Buhari said although the move was initially criticized, Nigerians eventually appreciated it because of the gains recorded from its effective implementation.
He added, “Please note that from Lake Chad to Benin Republic is more than 1,600 kilometres, only God can effectively guard the borders.
“So you need a person who has the energy and the competence to supervise. I deliberately closed the borders because knowing Nigerians, they order rice, give some to Niger and the rest, and then they bring the rice here.
“With our potential, we have people, we have land, and weather – how many nations are as lucky as Nigeria in the world, very few nations.
“So closing that border, 1,600 kilometres, Nigerians insist they eat boiled rice – you eat what you grow or you die. I tried to make my point and later Nigerians appreciated it.”
In her remarks, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said the new customs headquarters was a symbol of the present government’s commitment to effective service delivery.
She said the board under her leadership, prioritised customs’ staff welfare and ensured “regular promotion for customs personnel, training opportunities”, among others.
She thanked the president for signing the Nigeria Customs Act 2022, saying it would go a long way in enabling the service meet up with international best practices.
Mrs Ahmed also thanked the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and other stakeholders for their continued support, adding that it had enhanced the service’s mandate of trade facilitation and revenue generation.
Earlier, Comptroller of Custom, Hammed Ali, said he ensured the building was completed to create conducive environment for personnel to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
“When I assumed office in 2015, I was resolute on implementing the three “Rs”; Reform, Restructure and Raise Revenue profile of the Service.
“In view of this, I was not in doubt that a conducive environment is important and that is why I ensured the completion of the new corporate headquarters.”
Mr Ali said the building was technologically friendly with necessary facilities to monitor activities at the different borders and commands across the country.
The Customs boss said the building, which sits on approximately 25,000 square meters, was designed and constructed by indigenous firms.
He said although there were challenges of variations in the course of the project, the service was proud to erect one of the most cost-effective edifices in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
The Customs corporate headquarters, referred to as “Customs House”, is located in Maitama areas in Abuja.
The building has a 12-floor tower with five floors on both wings of the tower and “bridges” linking the two wings.
The project was conceived in 2002 to provide a comfortable and conducive working environment for staff and authorised visitors to the building.
