President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the resignation of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Dikko Abdullahi.
With the acceptance, Abdullahi is expected to proceed on his voluntary retirement from Tuesday, August 18.
He had earlier written a letter on August 3 to the President in which he expressed his desire to proceed on voluntary retirement from Tuesday.
The President’s approval of Abdullahi’s request was written on August 14.
President Buhari thanked the NCS boss for his services to the county in the last six years.
Mr Abdullahi had in his letter to the President thanked him for the confidence and trust reposed on him since he [Buhari] was inaugurated on May 29 and pointed out that by August 18, he would be six years in office as the Comptroller-General of the NCS.
The Customs boss had, on assumption of office, articulated a six-point agenda which he vigorously pursued.
He said the agenda had positively impacted on the efficiency and performance of officers of the service and had drastically changed the negative perception of the service.
Mr Abdullahi listed the six-point agenda to include capacity building, introduction of e-Customs, enhancing productivity through improved welfare package, moral rebirth for discipline and integrity in service, collaboration and partnering with stakeholders and international organisations, as well as fostering understanding of the Service in the eye of the general public using an intensified and a well-coordinated public relations platform.
The NCS boss said he was not afraid of the probe of his tenure, as revenue collection into various coffers of the government increased drastically under his watch.
He said the Service’s average monthly collection in 2009 when he took over was about 29 billion Naira, but that it was now between 90 to 100 billion Naira.