Customs commands yet to receive circular on assets declaration

dimeji akinloye

January 19, 2016 12:20 AM

On his part, the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Customs Command, Mr Emmanuel Ekpa, said asset declaration was part of the public service rules.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd.)

Customs commands in Lagos are yet to receive the circular from the service headquarters directing officers to declare their assets within 14 days, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Public Relations Officer of the Tin-Can Island Customs Command, Mr Chris Osunkwo, said on Monday in Lagos that the command had not received any circular on the declaration of assets.

He told NAN that officers in the command were only aware of the information like other Nigerians.

"We have procedures. We are waiting for the circular and officers are familiar with the asset declaration exercise of the Federal Government, Osunkwo told NAN.

The Spokesman of Customs Command, Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd., Mr Steve Okonma, said he had no comment on the Asset declaration.

Okonmah said the command had not received any circular to that effect.

On his part, the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Customs Command, Mr Emmanuel Ekpa, said asset declaration was part of the public service rules.

Ekpa said there was "nothing extra-ordinary’’ about the directive on asset declaration.

"The 14-day ultimatum by the Comptroller-General to officers to declare their assets is normal and is in line with the public service rule that all workers should do that once in four years.

"What Col. Ali has done with the ultimatum is to compel all officers who have not complied with this rule to do so in view of the fact that many officers have not declared their assets.

"I have done my assets declaration and so I am not affected by the ultimatum.

All civil servants are required to declare their assets and all the comptroller-general wants is total compliance," he said.

Ekpa said the Code of Conduct Bureau was in a better position to confirm if some customs officers had started complying with the directive.

READ: Customs Comptroller-General gives all officers 14-day ultimatum to declare assets

He said activities at the Apapa command of the service were normal, adding that no panic or apprehension among officers as a result of the ultimatum on asset declaration.

The National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Mr Wale Adeniyi told NAN that the circular on asset declaration was released on Friday.

He said gradually the commands would be receiving the circular between Monday and Tuesday.

dimeji akinloye