THUR, MARCH 1 2018-theG&BJournal-Against the backdrop of the recent increase in pay checks of officers of the Nigerian Shippers Council by as much as 100 per cent, Officers and Men of the Nigerian Customs Service have asked for an upward review of their personal emolument.
An Area Controller of Customs who spoke to theG&BJournal on condition of anonymity said that Customs Officers are the least paid civil servants in the maritime sector.
“If we are the highest revenue earning establishment in the maritime sector, why must we earn the least. Last year we collected N1.3trn into the Federation Account while high profile agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority and NIMASA raked in a paltry N10b each,’’ he said to buttress his point.
He said: ‘’Go and look at the jumbo pay workers in these agencies earn. What have we done to earn this level of injustice in the same civil service of the same country?’’
According to him, the Controller of Customs earn less than N400,000 per month which is the take home pay of a driver at the NPA. Any pay rise at Customs House which is less than 300 per cent remains an injustice.
The Custom chief explained that Customs Officers were been slaughtered daily in the line of duty by dare devil smugglers and called for a befitting life insurance scheme for officers.
The last pay rise for Customs Officers was approved by late President Umaru Yar’ adua in 2010. Our Investigations reveals that Customs Officers barely have enough tools to work. Patron vehicles, scanners and provision of an enabling working environment has been non existence.
In 2015, 2016 and 2017 the Nigerian Senate has held on to the Customs Capital Budget following its face off with CGC, Hameed Ali .
