The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali, has said that nobody is above the law in the service, no matter their positions and ranks.
Ali said this while decoroating newly promoted officers in Abuja on Friday.
The NCS Board on Wednesday announced the dismissal of an Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) for “serious misconduct” while another got compulsory retirement for act of negligence.
Ali, while referring to the dismissed officers, said they were disciplined for various misconducts, as there was no untouchable in the service.
He said those who were untouchable were the people who behave themselves and work in conformity with the rules of the service.
“Recently, we took disciplinary measures on members of management. This was done to ensure discipline is maintained in the service. As much as we reform ourselves, you won’t have problem with the management under my leadership.
“In spite of our effort to do away with the bad ones, there are still some elements not conforming with the situation, it is incumbent on us to show them the way out.
“This is necessary because the action of those few still make the public to disapprove of what we do. We must collectively isolate and discipline them in the interest of the service,” he said.
The customs boss said he was pleased that those who were promoted deserved the elevation.
He said the era of promoting officers for connection or influence was over in the NCS, adding that the personnel did not need to know him or any member of management before promotion.
Ali also enjoined officers to live within their earnings, adding that any officer caught in any sharp practices would be “severely dealt with”.