By Christopher Ameh, Bauchi

A prominent supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and advocate of the Renewed Hope Agenda, Khamis Musa Darazo, has urged the President to extend the tenure of the current management team of the Nigeria Customs Service, warning that the planned retirement of senior officers could create a leadership vacuum capable of disrupting ongoing reforms and weakening the nation’s revenue drive.

Darazo said virtually all members of the current Customs management team are expected to retire by the end of the year, describing the development as a critical institutional challenge requiring 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 improved Customs operations and revenue generation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
.

“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,” Darazo said.

He noted that officers next in line for 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 in the Service.

Darazo further cautioned that a leadership vacuum 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 argued that they could undermine the professionalism, institutional culture, and career progression structure built within the Service over the years.

According to him, 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 weaken confidence in the Service’s established promotion and succession framework.

Darazo therefore appealed to President Tinubu to consider a strategic service extension for members of the current management team as a transitional measure aimed at ensuring continuity, stability, and orderly succession within the Nigeria Customs Service.

He said 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.

The Tinubu loyalist stressed 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 safeguards 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 securing the future of the Nigeria Customs Service and advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.