By Segun Adewale in Bauchi
A prominent supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and advocate of the Renewed Hope Agenda, Khamis Musa Darazo, has called for the extension of service for the current management team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), warning that the planned mass retirement of senior officers could create a leadership vacuum capable of disrupting ongoing reforms and weakening the nation’s revenue drive.
Speaking on the issue yesterday in Bauchi, Darazo noted that virtually all members of the current Customs management team are expected to retire by the end of the year, a development he described as a critical institutional challenge that requires urgent presidential intervention.
According to him, the simultaneous exit of the entire leadership team could negatively affect policy continuity, institutional memory, operational efficiency, and the implementation of strategic reforms that have significantly enhanced Customs operations and revenue generation under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Darazo explained that the officers next in the line of succession are largely Deputy Comptrollers who may still require additional time and exposure to attain the level of experience traditionally associated with top management responsibilities within the Service.
“The Nigeria Customs Service occupies a strategic position in our national economic architecture. At a time when President Tinubu is pursuing bold economic reforms and strengthening non-oil revenue generation, preserving experienced leadership within the Service is vital to sustaining the gains already achieved,” he stated.
He further cautioned that any leadership vacuum created by the retirement of the current management team could open the door for external appointments into positions traditionally occupied by career customs officers. While acknowledging that such appointments may be legally permissible, he emphasized that they could undermine the professionalism, institutional culture, and career progression structure painstakingly built within the Service over the years.
Darazo stressed that career customs officers possess specialized operational knowledge and institutional experience that are critical to the effective administration of the Service and the realization of government revenue targets.
He also warned that bypassing experienced officers within the system could affect staff morale and reduce confidence in the Service’s established promotion and succession framework.
The Tinubu loyalist therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider a strategic service extension for members of the current management team as a transitional measure that would ensure continuity, stability, and orderly succession within the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to him, such a move would help sustain ongoing reforms, preserve institutional memory, strengthen operational effectiveness, provide adequate mentorship for the next generation of officers, and protect the long-term interests of the Service.
Darazo maintained that the proposal is not intended to obstruct the career progression of younger officers but rather to create a structured transition that guarantees stability and protects one of Nigeria’s most important revenue-generating institutions.
He expressed confidence that President Tinubu’s commitment to institutional strengthening and good governance would guide the consideration of measures capable of safeguarding the future of the Nigeria Customs Service and advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
