By GODWIN ORITSE

A group of unidentified Customs officers at the  Tin-Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has protested the indiscriminate transfer of officers without paying them transfer allowances.

In statement by the group of officers, it was stated that the issue of transfer has now become a tool for punishment of erring officers.

It was said that officers who have barely spent one year in area Command are booted out without recourse to the payment of 28 days allowance which enable officers to settle down to their postings.

An officer who spoke to Vanguard anonymously , said “we do not know what we have done to the ‘Oga’  (Comptroller-General ) after all, we have exceeded our monthly revenue target, how can the Comptroller General be separating us from our families every six months?. The aggrieved officers also noted that the office of the Comptroller-General has degenerated to the level of hijacking the postings of junior officers.

Part of the statement reads “In the just released movement transfer, dead and retired officers were affected.

“In August, 2013, more 212 officer and 364 officers were moved from Apapa and Tin Can Island ports respectively while other commands were not affected in any way. In swift reaction, the Public Relation officer of the Tin-Can Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Chris Osunkwo, said that the report that officers of the Command are daring the Comptroller-General to reduce staff strength of the Command was a baseless threat. Osunkwo stated that the Command is very aware of the enormity of the powers an incumbent Comptroller-General of Customs wields, adding that no sane and discipline officer will regard the CG’s directive as an empty threat.

He said “ Since his assumption of office, the CGC has not been known for frivolities and has never acted on impulse as he is an officer that knows what is good for the Service.” he concluded.