A former Comptroller of Customs, Abdullahi Bello Gusau, has written a petition against the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali to the Minister of Finance and Chairman Nigeria Customs Service, alleging that he was unlawfully retired from service and should be reinstated.
“I was unlawfully retired and lucked out of office exactly four days after I uncovered over N1. 3 billion fraud through online audit through Single Good Declaration, SGD, Audit form,” Comptroller Abdullahi Bello Gusau explained.
Comptroller Gusau made the revelation in his petition against the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), and made available to newsmen in Kaduna penultimate last week, stressing that he was retired premature four days after he uncovered the fraud through Post Clearance Audit, PCA, at the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, headquarters in Abuja.
“I audited only 20 SGDs forms online and discovered gross underpayment of import duty revenue amounting to over N1.3 billion at Apapa port Area command. I was in charge of fct command (CAC FCT) Nnamdi Azikiwe international Airport,” it stated.
The illegal retirement was contested, and he proceeded to the apex court where Comptroller Gusau emerged victorious after the supreme court final judgement in April 2017.
In the letter of petition signed by Barr. G.T. Afolabi, of Olugbenga Afolabi & Associates, on behalf of Comptroller Gusau, it stated that the Supreme Court judgement mandated the Comptroller General and NCS to reinstate Comptroller Bello Gusau, but the Comptroller General refused to comply.
The Supreme Court, in a copy of the judgement delivered in April, 7, 2017, by Justice Ejembi Eko, and made available to journalists by the victim, affirmed Appeal Court judgement including the consequential orders, and mandated the CG to reinstate Gusau together with all the consequential orders of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as contained in the judgement.
The Apex Court also made declarations that the purported retirement of the plaintiff (Bello Gusau) by the second defendant (Customs) is unlawful, malicious, irregular and fragrant violation of the plaintiff right of employment until the mandatory retirement age.
Supreme Court’s 5-man panel of Justices, headed by CJN, Walter S.N Onnoghen, also made an order affirming Appeal court judgement and the purported retirement of the plaintiff by 1st and 2nd defendant’s public notice as unlawful.
The Court also ordered the defendant to allow Comptroller Gusau to resume work and also maintain his positions as Comptroller of customs and be paid all his benefits and emoluments and enjoy his lawful promotions.
The judgement and orders of the Supreme Court of Nigeria were duly served on the CG of customs on the 10th,13th, and 21st days of April, 2017, respectively, and also acknowledged receipts, but same was not complied with.
Till the time of filing this reports, customs is yet to formalise the reinstatement and promotion of Comptroller Gusau by way of serving him with reinstatement letter and letter of promotion, and subsequent decoration of his new rank.
Similarly, the salary arrears, emoluments and other entitlements have also not be paid to Comptroller Gusau.
The Attorney General of Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in his magnanimity, had written many letters to the CG advising him to comply with the judgement but were equally disregarded.
AGF, in a letter dated April 25th 2017, with reference no. PE.1/S.221/P.66, advised the CG customs Col. Ali to comply with the orders of Supreme Court, but same were ignored.
According to a letters of reminder to the CG, copied to Finance Minister, AGF, Acting President and other relevant authorities to comply with the judgement that Comptroller Gusau spent more than 16 years on the rank of comptroller without promotion due to the illegal premature retirement and victimization he was subjected to.
The letter further stressed that going by the scheme of service for customs service, Gusau should have been promoted to the Rank of ACG by June 2009, and be paid his arrears of monthly salaries, benefits, emoluments and all his relevant entitlement.
“Our client was unlawfully retired premature on 21st December 2009, more than 7 years ago by the former CG of customs, Dikko Inde’s administration, who was arrested by EFCC over allegations of N42 billion fraud, and diversion of public funds of N40 billion from customs coffers, criminal conspiracy, theft, abuse of offices and living above his legitimate means. Dikko Inde refunded N1 billion, according to national daily.
“Ever since the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered the above mentioned judgement in favour of client Comptroller Gusau with regard to his illegal retirement, orchestrated by NCS authority over 7 years ago, both CGC Ali, the minister of finance and Chairman NCS Board, have continue to delay, ignore and refuse to comply with the Supreme Court judgement and consequential orders contained therein, being duly notified of, and aware of the adjudication.
“Despite several letters of reminders we wrote to the CGC, and finance minister requesting for compliance with Supreme Court judgement, over five months ago, they refused to comply,” the solicitors added.
They also added that going by the Scheme of service for customs service, NCS rules and regulations and condition of service for customs service, it’s unjustifiable to deny Gusau lawful promotions, and granted accelerated promotions to Compt. Gusau’s many junior colleagues in the service of NCS who came from the same geographical zone with him.
The above mentioned promotions enjoyed by Comptroller Gusau juniors from same zone in 2004, 2007 and 2008, were again granted accelerated promotions between 2012 and 2015 to ACG, GL16 and DCG consolidated.
It would be recalled that Comptroller Gusau challenged the unlawful retirement of his permanent and pensionable appointment at the Federal High Court Abuja, the matter that went to Court of Appeal Abuja and Supreme court of Nigeria, where Gusau emerged victorious in both Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Nigeria respectively.
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