“A Crown Jewel of Institutional Unfairness”: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Condemns Customs Boss Tenure Extension as Blatant Nepotism

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse the recent one-year tenure extension granted to Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, citing what it described as injustice, nepotism, and disregard for institutional fairness.

In a statement issued Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group criticized the decision as a calculated move to sideline Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) BU Nwafor, who is next in line for the top job and hails from Anambra State. The group argued that with Adeniyi already due for retirement, Nwafor should have been appointed as the next Comptroller General. Instead, the extension now strategically places DCG KI Adeola, who comes after Nwafor in hierarchy, as the likely successor when Nwafor retires in October 2026.

Ohanaeze described the move as a “crown jewel of institutional unfairness” and accused the presidency of favouring certain ethnic interests over merit and national unity. The group said the decision contradicts the spirit of the Nigerian national anthem, which calls for unity despite ethnic differences.

“Is this the prototype of the Nigerian brand of brotherhood and patriotism?” the group asked, adding that continued instances of what it termed “canonical ethnic profiling” undermine national cohesion.

The organization urged President Tinubu to reconsider the decision, labeling it a moral failure and a blow to the principles of equity and justice. “We therefore call on President Tinubu to revisit this obvious act of robbing Peter to pay Paul, which amounts to injustice, inequity, failure of public morality, and a bruise on national pride,” the statement concluded.