The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise on Monday frowned at the refusal of the heads of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to respond to the invitation of the House to appear before an investigative hearing on 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 the Minister of Interior, Comptroller General of Customs, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service and other stakeholders to the investigative hearing on the modernisation of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The House, at two sittings, had ordered the committees to investigate the modernisation project of the Nigerian Customs Service (e-customs) concession to the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) and the role of Webb Fontaine in the e-customs framework, as well as the need to employ modern technology to secure Nigeria’s borders and address the challenges posed by illegal migration and border management.
While the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, was said to be out of the country and could not attend the session with the lawmakers, no reason was given for the absence of the Customs boss and his Immigration counterpart.
Speaking on the development at the investigative hearing on Monday, a member of the committee, Hon Olumide Osoba (Ogun-APC), frowned at the absence of the chief executives, saying section 88 of the constitution gives the parliament the power to invite any individual to appear before it to offer an explanation, adding that in such instances, only the chief executives of the agencies are to appear before the parliament.
As a result of the absence, Hon Osoba said the investigative hearing could not be held as those representing the chief executives are not in a position to provide the answers being sought by the parliament.
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Speaking in the same vein, another member of the committee, Hon Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers), pointed out that the refusal of the heads of agencies was an affront to the parliament, saying that if they refuse to show on the next adjourned date, the committee and the parliament should invoke their powers and recommend their removal from office.
According to him, their refusal to honour parliamentary invitations would mean that they were either tired of the job or incompetent to carry out their assigned duties.
In his ruling, Chairman of the Committee Hon Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi) said while the investigative hearing on the customs modernisation has to do with improving government revenue, the second one deals with the security of the nation.
He pointed out that despite the very tight schedules of the lawmakers, they made out time to carry out the national assignment, pointing out that the investigative hearing would have to be shifted to another day, preferably after the passage of the national budget and at a time when the chief executives will be available to answer questions from members.
The committee is expected to investigate the concession of the operations of the customs to Trade Modernisation Project and why Webb Fontaine, which has managed the collection process, is still the one operating the system.
The committee is also expected to find out the due diligence carried out in the selection of Trade Modernisation Project to take over the e-customs processes from Webb Fontaine and what TMP has done with the concession, as well as the number of modern scanners they have introduced to make clearing of goods easier and faster.
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