The Arewa Youths Advocate for Good Governance, a political pressure group, has called on President Bola Tinubu to begin a strategic presidential intervention to ensure stability in the leadership composition of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The Youths on Saturday expressed fears over the looming leadership vacuum that may be in existence in a short time. The group’s national coordinator, Adamu Muhammad Abdullahi, said the “impending leadership vacuum in Nigeria Customs Service” gives the group a concern while the nation is faced with border insecurity.
The group has been closely monitoring developments within the Service and is gravely worried about the impending retirement of a “significant number” of senior management officers during that period, Abdullahi said.
“Nigeria is pursuing far-reaching economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda. “On such a delicate stage, institutions responsible for revenue generation, trade facilitation and border management need stability, policy continuity and experienced leadership,” the argued.
It in its view, The NCS has evolved to be one of the Federal Government’s best revenue generating institutions. “It is also at the forefront of the fight against smuggling, securing Nigeria’s borders, facilitating legitimate trade and supporting national security operations.”
The youth group said that the simultaneous exit of several experienced management officers, without a carefully managed transition strategy, could create avoidable leadership gaps, disrupt institutional memory, slow ongoing modernisation programmes and affect operational efficiency at a time when Nigeria can least afford such uncertainty.
It urged the President to consider a strategic and legal intervention that will ensure stability within the Nigeria Customs Service and prevent the reversal of the significant gains made in recent years.
They say such intervention may include a phased approach to leadership transition, keeping significant institutional expertise where legally allowed, and ensuring that succession planning is aligned to the national interest rather than the administrative calendar alone.
“We are not an advocacy group for people. The group said: “We are fighting for institutional continuity.”
“We, therefore, urge the Presidency, the National Security establishment, the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant stakeholders to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the potential implications of a mass leadership transition within the Service before irreversible decisions are made.
They praised President Tinubu’s dedication to institutional reforms and remained confident that the administration would continue to prioritize decisions that fortify the nation’s economic architecture and security framework.
