SOS: The travails of a ‘retired officer’ with the Nigeria Customs -By Aremu Lukman Umor

To say there are no bad eggs in a particular Nigerian agency is disputable. Over the years, undercover journalists have been sweeping out the rots some of the personnel in our agencies thought they had successfully or perfectly swept under the carpet. Such were the ones the award-winning investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo did and is doing. He had unraveled the rots in our police, prison, hospital, etc. And interestingly, the agencies in question had readjusted in a way or the other.

Mr. Olorunoje Lateef Adewale is a ‘retired officer’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, who was served a retirement letter before his supposed year of retirement. Olorunoje had been forced to retire under the pretext of medical grounds, which he denied, saying he was fit as at the time and even now.

He joined the Nigeria Customs on August 1, 1979, with service No. 24053, and was supposed to retire by age on January 6, 2020, and by year of service on August 1, 2014, instead, he was spuriously served a retirement letter on December 20, 2011, without tangible reasons. Meanwhile, he was confirmed fit by the hospitals he visited a few days after. So, why the retirement on medical grounds when he was fit? Is the Custom now a medical center?

The retirement letter reads: “At its 41st Regular Meeting held on 19th December 2011, the Nigeria Customs Service Board, NCSB, approved that you be and you are hereby retired from Service on Medical Grounds with effect from Monday, 19th December 2011.

“The Board has further directed that I express its appreciation to you for the services you have rendered to the Nation over the years, and to wish you success in your future endeavours.

“You are to hand over all Government property in your possession including (uniforms, accouterments, identity card, etc) to your immediate superior before you proceed on your retirement.”

The aforecited retirement letter with reference NCSB/ABJ/AP&D/94/S.4/VOL.XXXVIII/79 dated 20, December 2011 was signed by Mohammed M., NCSB Secretary.

Surprisingly, however, on the 6th of March, 2012, he received transfer Staff Order to Ogun State Customs Command, duly signed by ACG Mohammed M. This was the same person who signed his questionable retirement letter on the 19th of December, 2011. Imagine, that showed there was a discrepancy and foul play somewhere. He would go to the Nigeria Customs to tender what he saw and there would be no one to hear him out. My people would say ‘ejo l’owo nu’ in such a situation. That’s, something is fishy.

As if that was not enough, NCS has not given Mr. Olorunoje the copy of his medical report which is a prerequisite by the Pension Fund Administration, PFA, to access his retirement savings. He had gone to the NCS several times with no humane result. Had he had dubious records with NCS in his 32 years in service, one would have concluded that it was the reason why he is being tormented. But no, he didn’t. Otherwise, he would have been dismissed instead of the shallow retirement letter that was forced on him.

Therefore, this is an appeal to the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali, a man that doesn’t condone corruption, to look into Mr. Olorunoje Lateef Adewale’s case so that he could have access to his hard-earned money. A retired officer like Olorunoje, who justly served Nigeria for 32 years with a clean sheet shouldn’t be rewarded with the denial of his retirement benefits.

Aremu Lukman Umor

Lagos Nigeria
Aremulukmanumor@gmail.com
07032291480