Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise expressed frustration on Monday over the absence of key government officials at an investigative hearing on the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service and border management.
The hearing was set to include the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, along with the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap. The focus was on the modernization of the Nigeria Customs Service, specifically the e-customs initiative and the role of Webb Fontaine in this framework.
While the Minister of Interior was reportedly out of the country, no explanation was provided for the absences of the customs and immigration chiefs. Committee member Olumide Osoba criticized the lack of attendance, emphasizing that the constitution empowers parliament to summon individuals for explanations.
The absence of the heads of these agencies prevented the hearing from proceeding, as their representatives were unable to provide the necessary information. Fellow committee member Awaji-Inombek Abiante described the officials’ refusal to attend as a disrespect to the parliamentary process, suggesting that their noncompliance could indicate incompetence in their roles.
Committee Chairman Leke Abejide noted the importance of the investigative hearing for both revenue generation and national security. He announced that the session would be rescheduled for a later date, preferably after the passage of the national budget, allowing time for the chief executives to attend and answer questions.
The committee aims to investigate the concession of customs operations to the Trade Modernisation Project and examine the due diligence conducted in selecting this project over Webb Fontaine. They will also assess the introduction of modern scanning technology to facilitate the clearing of goods.
