By Mercy Aikoye
The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise expressed disappointment on Monday over the refusal of heads of government agencies to attend an investigative hearing. The hearing aimed to probe the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service and the management of the nation’s borders.
The committee, alongside the House Committee on Interior, had invited key stakeholders, including the Minister of Interior, Comptroller General of Customs, and Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service. However, only the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, had a valid reason for his absence, being out of the country.
The absence of the Customs boss and his Immigration counterpart raised eyebrows, with no explanation provided. Olumide Osoba, a member of the Committee, emphasized that Section 88 of the constitution empowers the parliament to invite individuals to offer explanations. In such cases, only the Chief Executives of the agencies are required to appear.
Osoba pointed out that the investigative hearing couldn’t proceed without the Chief Executives, as their representatives couldn’t provide the necessary answers. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, another committee member, deemed the refusal of the agency heads an affront to the parliament.
Abiante suggested that if they fail to appear on the next adjourned date, the Committee should invoke its powers and recommend their removal from office. He believed their refusal to honor the parliamentary invitation indicated incompetence or a lack of commitment to their duties.
Leke Abejide, Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, highlighted the importance of the investigative hearing, which focuses on improving government revenue and national security. Despite the lawmakers’ busy schedules, they prioritized this national assignment.
Abejide announced that the hearing would be rescheduled for a later date, preferably after the passage of the national budget, when the Chief Executives would be available to answer questions.
The Committee aims to investigate the concession of customs operations to the Trade Modernisation Project and the continued involvement of Webb Fontaine in the e-customs process. They will also examine the selection process of Trade Modernisation Project and its performance since taking over the e-customs processes.
Furthermore, the Committee seeks to determine the number of modern scanners introduced by Trade Modernisation Project to facilitate smoother and faster clearing of goods.
