Some officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Ogun II Command have accused their leaders of collecting an outrageous N20,000 from them in the name of barracks maintenance every month.

It was learnt that the NCS built a new one-storey building consisting of 16 self-contained apartments at the command barracks located at Quarry Road in the Abeokuta area of Ogun State in 2023.

Between February and March, the authorities allocated the apartments to interested officers and they subsequently moved in.

The occupants have since been paying N20,000 to the committee set up for the block for ?maintenance?.

These occupants, according to a source whose identity is protected for fear of victimisation, have been paying through their noses while entreating the command to reduce the fee. Their entreaties have been rebuffed, however.

?It seems we have mortgaged our salaries since getting into the new block. We came in around March and we had hoped the barracks would give us some comfort and offer some discount against the rent payable in the host community,? a customs officer told FIJ on Tuesday.

?Before we moved in March, we only paid N10,000 and we felt that was reasonable. By April, they doubled the levy and we flared up. This amount is too much compared to our salaries. It amounts to N240,000 yearly. As an individual, I cannot afford that rent if I were to be living outside the barracks. I would definitely go for something below that threshold because of my salary grade,? he added.

The source explained their pleading with Comptroller Bisi Alade, the head of the command, through a now-retired deputy comptroller for a reduced levy was met with a retortion: ?If you cannot pay again, vacate and let other people come in.?

The source said that they had expected that the authorities would explain the reasoning behind the levy or promise to look into it but that blunt response fell below their expectations.

?We then arranged about four people to meet with the deputy comptroller, now retired, for a discussion so that the amount can be reduced,? said the source.

?When they met with him, he said it was impossible to reduce it because that was the directive of the comptroller. He said anybody who cannot pay it should move out for new people to come in.

?It is difficult to pay that money each month. In other blocks within the barracks, people are paying N5,000 or N7,000. The only block that is higher than ours is the one where junior officers are paying N25,000. In junior officers? case, they are many in a flat and contributing this amount is not a big deal to them.?

When asked to break down the purpose of the levy, the source explained that it was meant for cleaning the barracks, fueling generators and pumping water.

The source also explained that both the command and the barracks use the same cleaners. This means that the authorities were not paying the cleaners separately.

?It is like killing two birds with a stone. We know that, as responsible people, we have to pay to maintain our environment but the money is outrageous,? said the source.

?Let me say this, they did not employ separate cleaners for us. It is the same cleaners they are paying with the public funds that are cleaning the barracks. So, why increase the levy? It is simply an extortion and we are tired.

?They claim a part of the money is for fueling generators, but there are many times they don?t turn it on for us. And then they do, it is just for two hours.

?The contractors who built the block did not provide a functional borehole. We were told that he did not get his full payment. So, he just sunk the borehole without installing and connecting a pumping machine. All of us in the barracks are tied to the existing water system.?

When contacted for comment on this story, Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS spokesperson, said FIJ was chasing shadows.

?If you guys have something you are chasing, you are chasing shadows. I will not be ready for that. That is not journalism. Let me tell you, for any barracks you stay in, there are dues you have to pay. Who is going to pay for your electricity bill? Who is going to pay for the disposal of your refuse? Someone must pay that bill,? Maiwada said.

?That is not extortion and I will not agree with using that word. Go and find a better way to do journalism, please. I stay in a barracks and I pay dues every month. Somebody must pay for electricity, water and other utility bills.

?Apart from the so-called officers you mentioned, go and ask an average customs officer about how he feels about his welfare. He will tell you he is okay. At this stage, I think you guys are coming to do some certain things.?

The spokesperson called again to offer more explanation on the complaint, saying the levy varies per block in the barracks.

?There are three categories of buildings there. We have a category for senior officers, there is an old building with toilets situated outside and we have another one for rank-and-file (officers),? Maiwada explained.

?The senior one pays N20,000 monthly, those in the 30-man rank-and-file pay N10,000 while those in the old building pay N5,000 for monthly maintenance. There are casual staff who clean up the barracks. There are sanitation and electricity issues. Those are what they pay for monthly.? (Text, excluding headline: FIJ)

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