The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), has approved the redeployment of 48 comptrollers of Customs.

The redeployment, according to a statement is part of measures aimed at repositioning the Customs for effective and efficient service delivery.

The statement said the redeployment was also in line with the ongoing reforms in the service, adding that it would also assist to check smuggling and block revenue leakages in the country.

The statement gave the identities of some of those affected as M. J. Madugu, who was redeployed from Sokoto/Kebbi/Zamfara to the Ogun Command; E. A. Udo-aka, who was moved from Investigation to Oyo/Osun Command; and K. Isiyaku, who was redeployed from Tariff and Trade to Port Harcourt 1, among others.

The statement read in part, “In a major re-jigging of the service for effective and efficient service delivery the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), has approved the redeployment of 48 comptrollers of Customs.

“The redeployment is in line with the ongoing reforms of the service.”

The statement added that the comptroller-general’s compliance team had been disbanded and a new team reconstituted.

The new compliance team, it added, was divided into three teams for the western axis, northern axis and eastern axis.

It said they were to complement the Federal Operations Units in order to vigorously crack down on all forms of smuggling activities nationwide, with particular focus on the enforcement of non-importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders.

The statement added, “The new CGC’s compliance team will be co-ordinated by Comptroller Azarema A. A., who before now has been the comptroller, license and permit, at the NCS headquarters.

“While effecting these changes, the CGC expressed his determination to strategically reposition the service as a crucial contributor to the success story of the nation.”

While calling on all stakeholders to provide the needed information for the operatives to nip smuggling activities in the bud, the statement quoted Ali to have said, “Revenue leakages must be blocked; the nation needs all collectable revenue.”