Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) has restated his mandate to undertake reforms and restructuring to enhance capacity of the capacity of the Service to generate more revenue.
Ali stated this in Abuja at his maiden meeting held with the management of the Service on assumption of duty. He charged Customs Management to work with him to deliver on the mandate given by President Mohammadu Buhari.
“The mandate he has given me are three basic things: go to Customs, reform Customs, restructure Customs and increase the revenue generation, simple. I don’t think that is ambiguous, I don’t think that is cumbersome”. It is precise and I believe that is what all of you are here to do”, Customs spokeman, Wale Adeniyi quoted Ali as telling the senior officers on Thursday.
According to Adeniyi, Ali also pleaded with the management not to see him as a stranger in the Customs family, noting that his mission in Customs is to help build and strengthen the Service.
Ali also solicited the support and loyalty of all officers and men in his collective approach to make Nigeria Customs a better service.
Earlier, the Deputy Comptroller General covering duties for CGC, John Atte, while handing over gave him a brief history of the Service and assured him of unquestionable loyalty of officers and men to work towards suppression of smuggling, increased revenue collection, facilitation of trade among others, in the interest of the nation.
Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) was appointed Comptroller-General of Customs on 27th August, 2015.
Born on 15th January 1955 in Dass Local Government of Bauchi State, Col. Hameed Ali attended Nigeria Defence Academy Kaduna, between 1974-1977, and the Sam Houston State University, Huntsville Texas USA, between 1984-1988. He holds the Bachelors and Masters degrees in Criminology, and the Nigerian Defence Academy Certificate of Education (NDACE).
Col. Ali had a distinguished career in the Nigerian Army, during which he served as Military Administrator of Kaduna State between 1996-1998 and Colonel Training TRADOC, Minna in 1998.
His previous appointments include General Staff Officer II, Military Police Headquarters, 1981-1982, General Staff Officer II, 1 Mechanised Division, Kaduna, 1992, and Commander, Special Investigation Bureau, Apapa, Lagos 1994-1996.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.