Senator Fadahunsi Exposes Corrupt Practices in Customs, Asks Buhari To Remove CG

A former Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who is also the vice chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, has revealed that there is massive fraud going on in Customs and that the current Comptroller-General needed to be relieved of his duties over alleged incompetence and fraud.

The Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District said because of the alleged incompetence of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.), Nigerian borders have been poorly managed of which proliferation of small arms is now threatening the nation’s existence.

He said the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is a major factor responsible for the lingering problems of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in the country.

“Custom officers allowed traders to smuggle contraband goods and items into the country and now they are going round to raid their shops, it is wrong. They are already inside the country and what they should do is to encourage them to come and pay. I tell you, they will come and pay. 

“I told the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.), that his border management is poor. You don’t need to carry guns and start running after those people who have settled your boys. It is wrong, they paid bribes to the boys at the border and they are still running after them now. The border management is poor and it has failed. The same failure is seen at the ports and that is the cause of port congestion.”

Fadahunsi made this known during interview with one of the dailies recently.

The senator said a competent professional should be in charge of Customs adding that “soldiers are not trained to generate revenue. They are trained to buy ammunition and to kill. This man met more that 30,000 personnel in the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS and today they are not more than 15,000 left, he has sacked all of them.

“If you see the fraud in the Customs now, you will be shocked. But nobody must talk. They make noise to cover this up but if you go into their books, you will be surprised. Customs headquarters was awarded for N2.7bn then but today the project is going to about N30bn. The project has not been completed but the furniture contract for the uncompleted building has been awarded. Who is fooling who? If Mr President sees what the man is doing, he will run out of the country.

“That is why I am saying that Mr President should put a technical person from Customs there; if not, the man will run the place aground. The CG wants to recruit 3,200 persons and he paid N1.6bn to a consultant to recruit 3,200 persons. The money is not for training but to just recruit them. I asked him if the Nigerian Army ever used consultants to recruit personnel and he said no. He said Customs officers are corrupt and he is bringing in a consultant to recruit 3,200 persons and he will pay the firm N1.6bn. Are you recruiting five million people? The N1.6bn is even in the budget and that is one of the reasons the budget was being queried by the leadership of the Senate,” he stated.