Reps panel frowns as Customs, NIS CG’s shun investigative hearing

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The House of Representatives  Committee on Customs and Excise, yesterday, expressed displeasure over the absence of the Comptroller Generals of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, and his counterpart in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at an investigative hearing.

The committee is investigating the concession of the e-Customs project to the Trade Modernisation Project, as well as the role of Webb Fontaine in the e-Customs framework.

The Minister of Interior, Tunji Ojo,  who was also invited for the investigative hearing, was said to be out of the country. However, no reason was given for the absence of Adeniyi and Nandap.

The lawmakers, who were furious over the failure of Customs and NIS bosses to honour their invite, noted that Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the parliament to investigate activities of government agencies.

A member of  the Committee on Customs, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, described the absence of the top government officials as an affront on the House. He stated that the parliament would invoke its powers and call for their sack, if they failed to appear at the adjourned date.

The lawmaker noted that their failure to honour the invitation of the parliament is an indication that they are either tired of the job or incompetent to carry out functions of their office.

The committee Chairman, Leke Abejide, in his ruling, said the investigative hearing will  be rescheduled. “The minister himself is not here, the CG of Customs is not here and the CG of Immigration is not here. Who are we going to talk to? We cannot talk to any other person apart from the head of the agencies and the minister. This assignment was given to us to carry out on behalf of the government, we are not doing it ourselves.”