Harboursandport.com: Lagos, Nigeria – March 12, 2026: The Federal Operations Unit, FOU Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has come under criticism following its decision to proceed with a press briefing showcasing seizures, despite the death of an officer on active service earlier that same morning.
The incident occurred under the watch of the current Customs Area Controller, CAC of the Unit, Aliyu Gambo who had recently convened a workshop on reputation management, emphasizing professionalism, ethical conduct, and public trust.
Observers say the decision to continue with the media event contradicted those very principles.
Critics argue that while Gambo acknowledged the officer’s death at the start of the briefing, true leadership would have postponed the event to allow colleagues time to grieve and to demonstrate respect for the fallen.
“Acknowledgment without action is hollow. Operational triumphs should never outweigh human loss,” one stakeholder remarked.
The decision has raised questions about whether junior officers receive the same level of honor and recognition as senior personnel in similar circumstances.
Analysts note that the incident highlights deeper concerns about institutional values within the Customs Service. Public trust, they argue, is not built on seizures or statistics alone, but on humane conduct in moments of crisis.
The episode has sparked calls for Customs leadership to ensure that sacrifices made by officers are properly honored, and that reputation management begins not in workshops but in lived actions that reflect compassion and respect.
Meanwhile, Harboursandport.com gathered that the decision of the leadership of the Unit has caused dissatisfaction amongst junior officers of the Unit.
An officer was quoted to have said "Even when our guy died he still went ahead with the briefing, meaning his death is not worth proposing the briefing for.
"Most senior officers are only concern about the publicity and Abuja recognition, they do not care about us that put our lives on the line daily," the officer concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment