By Mercy Aikoye
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, to appear before it next Tuesday. This summons is in response to a petition filed by the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, alleging that some top customs officials have refused to retire despite reaching their mandatory retirement age.
The petition specifically names six officials: Imam, Umar, and Egwu, all Assistant Comptrollers, and Awe, Fatia, and Faith, all Comptrollers. These individuals are accused of overstaying their welcome in the customs service, denying younger Nigerians the opportunity to take up positions.
According to Mike Etaba, Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, the Comptroller General has a duty to explain the situation to Nigerians. Etaba emphasized that Nigerians deserve to know the truth and that the committee will ensure justice is served.
Etaba also noted that in an era where many young Nigerians are seeking employment, it is unfair for older officials to refuse to retire. He assured that the committee will treat the case on its merit, without taking sides.
In a related development, the committee has threatened to arrest the Director General of the Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) if she fails to appear before the committee. The NIMC DG is accused of breaching a license agreement with Truid Limited, a private software development firm.
Truid Limited alleges that the NIMC DG has been trying to truncate the agreement, which was premised on a tokenization system developed and deployed by Truid without any financial obligation from NIMC.
The agreement was supposed to run for an initial period of ten years from 2021, with Truid recouping its investment through patronage of service providers and shared proceeds.
Chairman Etaba expressed frustration over the NIMC DG’s continuous absence despite multiple invitations. He warned that if she fails to appear at the next hearing, the committee will have no option but to ask the Inspector General of Police to bring her in.
The committee’s actions demonstrate its commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in government agencies. By summoning the Customs Boss and threatening to arrest the NIMC DG, the committee is sending a strong message that public officials must be held accountable for their actions.
