A Marine Inspector of the Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS), Bamiloye Temitope Abiodun, at the weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State, staged a
one-man protest walk against what he described as his alleged wrongful
dismissal by the NCS since 2016 and the refusal of the authorities of the
service to reinstate him after investigation cleared and directed his
reinstatement.
Bamiloye, who walked with placards from Iwo Road
axis enroute Idi-Ape to Agodi area of the state capital city, said he was
shocked that even the recommendation by the House of Representatives among
other bodies to reinstate him after investigations were carried out on the
allegations against him was jettisoned and disregarded by the management of the
NCS, seven months after.
The embattled officer, who was employed into the Service
in February 2009, while speaking in an emotional-laden voice, appealed to
President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into his matter, pleading that the matter
has continued to affect his well-being.
The inscriptions on the two placards which he
strapped around himself read: ‘I plead with the Nigeria Customs Service to
reinstate me after three years’, ‘CG, minister, kindly yield to the resolution
of House of Reps’.
Among the documents Bamiloye made available to
journalists was a copy of a letter to the office of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives in Abuja, dated November 22, 2016, and titled: ‘Petition
against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for my wrongful dismissal: Inspector
of Customs (Marine)’, while serving at the Eastern Marine Command, Abonnema
Wharf station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Bamiloye, who had spent eight years in the service,
prayed the National Assembly to "review, reverse and completely annul the
decision of the NCS" on his dismissal, pleading for his immediate
reinstatement and for accorded upgrading.
His letter, according to him, was laid on the floor
of the House on December 12, 2016. This was followed by its first hearing on
March 22, 2017; second hearing in May 16, 2017, while the report was also laid
on June 7, 2018, just as the report was tendered for consideration on October
10, 2018.
The Committee set up by the eighth Assembly and
chaired by Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta and had Omale Anthony as its clerk had urged
the NCS through the Comptroller-General to reinstate Bamiloye, though without
payment of arrears.
The committee's recommendation titled: ‘Under 6.2
of the report’ stated that "the committee recommends the House to urge the
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service to reinstate the petitioner
(Bamiloye) without payment of the arrears.
This was followed by a letter addressed to the Comptroller-General
dated June 26, 2019, received and signed for at the office of the CG on July
15, 2019.
The letter written and signed by the Clerk to the
National Assembly, M.A. Sani-Omolori, titled: ‘Report of the committee on
public petitions on the petition by Bamiloye Temitope Abiodun against the
Nigeria Customs Service on his wrongful dismissal from service as a Marine
Inspector of Customs’ read: "The House of Representatives on April 10, 2019,
considered the above report and consequently resolved to urge the Comptroller-General
of the Nigeria Customs Service to reinstate Bamiloye without the payment of his
arrears.
"This letter communicates the above resolution
of the House to you for further necessary action. A copy of the votes and
proceedings of May 30, 2019, is attached to this letter for your
guidance."
Bamiloye then called on President Buhari to urge the
Comptroller-General to reinstate him without further delay and help save his
career in the Customs and life from further ruins.
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