Pressure mounts on Ali to accept Customs job

After initially appearing to turn down his appointment as the new comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali is reconsidering his position.

Ali, a retired colonel, was appointed on August 27 to the surprise of everyone, and he did not immediately assume duty, with David Atte, a deputy comptroller-general, holding the fort after Abdullahi Dikko Inde’s retirement.

The former military administrator of Kaduna state was said to have been shocked that he was posted to customs which is a completely strange territory to him.

“He was particularly shocked because on the eve of the announcement of his appointment, he was still at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and there was no hint whatsoever what the president was planning to do,” a member of the house of representatives in the know of the development told TheCable.

“He was just watching the TV and saw the news bar displaying his name as the new CG of customs. He was more than shocked. The initial hint was that he was going to be chairman of EFCC or chief of staff.”

After hesitating for a few days, Ali was bombarded with calls by senior politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) urging him to take up the challenge of reforming one of Nigeria’s most corruption-ridden agencies.

“A senator from the north-east played a key role in persuading him to go ahead with the job. He was made to understand that NNPC, FIRS and Customs are the biggest revenue-generating agencies and if he cleans up customs, Nigerians will feel the impact,” the source said.

To make him ease into the job, he is to be surrounded by experts and consultants who understand the intricacies of the position, TheCable was informed.

Ali was briefly at the headquarters of the agency on Friday, in company with his advisers, to familiarise himself with the top hierarchy.

All indications now are that he is going to accept the job, although there are questions over the appropriateness of his appointment as he is not a career customs officer.

TheCable had reported in June that Buhari was torn between making Ali his chief of staff of EFCC chairman because of his integrity and workrate.

But security reports were said to be negative about an in-house appointment as comptroller-general of customs, forcing Buhari to call on one of his most trusted associates to do the job.

Ali was in the military police and once served as provost-marshall of the Nigerian army.

He is known by the nickname of “Netanyahu” and “Mr No Compromise” because of his toughness, just like the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.