Dikko Abdullahi Inde: Customs Comptroller-General voluntarily steps down, Buhari yet to name replacement

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi Inde, says he will proceed on voluntary retirement from August 18.

Inde, who confirmed this to State House correspondents after paying a farewell visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, August 17, said his retirement has been accepted by the president.

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

The NCS boss hinged his decision to embark on voluntary retirement on the need to allow young bloods to take over the mantle of leadership of the Service in order to sustain and improve on his legacies.

"Well, I feel highly honoured for once and I’m grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari and I want to actually acknowledge and appreciate the honour done to me.

"Tomorrow, I will be six years as Comptroller-General of Customs and after wide consultations, I decided to personally meet him and express my gratitude and appreciation for serving for six years.

"And the only way the Nigeria Customs Service can move forward, I feel personally is my making a sacrifice.

"The sacrifice is to give chance to others so that they can come up and continue with the legacies and the reforms and structure that I have put in place.’’

The out-going comptroller-general had earlier written a letter dated Aug. 3 to the President notifying him of his desire to proceed on voluntary retirement from Tuesday.

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

According to him, the agenda has positively impacted on the efficiency and performance of officers of the service as well as drastically changed the negative perception of the service.

He listed the 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.

Inde said that he had successfully fostered understanding of the service before the public, using an intensified and a well-coordinated public relations platform.

He said that under his watch, the revenue collection into various coffers of government increased tremendously.

According to him, the service's average monthly collection in 2009 when he took over was about N29 billion, adding that the average monthly collection currently stood between N90 billion and N100 billion.

Meanwhile,President Buhari is yet to name Inde's successor at the time of filing this report.