By Chukwudi Obasi, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise yesterday frowned at the failure of heads of government agencies to respond to the invitations to account for their activities.
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 an investigative hearing on the modernisation of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The House had ordered the committees to investigate the modernisation project of the Nigerian Customs Service (e-customs) concession to the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) and Webb Fontaine’s role in the E-Customs framework.
They also need to address the need to employ modern technology to secure Nigeria’s borders and address the challenges posed by illegal migration and border management.
However, while the Minister of Interior, 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.
A member of the Committee, Olumide Osoba, frowned at the Chief Executives’ absence, saying section 88 of the Constitution gives the parliament the power to invite any individual to appear before it to offer an explanation.
He added that in such an instance, only the agency Chief Executives are to appear before the parliament.
As a result of the absence, Osoba said the investigative hearing could not be held as those representing the Chief Executives were not in a position to provide the proper answers.
Another member of the Committee on Customs, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, said the head of agencies’ refusal was an affront to the parliament.
He said if they refuse to show up on the next adjourned date, the parliament should invoke its powers and recommend their removal from office.
Abiante said their refusal to honour the parliamentary invitation would mean they are either tired of the job or incompetent to carry out their assigned duties.
Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Leke Abejide, said that while the investigative hearing on customs modernisation concerns improving government revenue, the second one concerns the security of the nation.
Abejide said that despite the lawmakers’ busy schedules, they made time to carry out the national assignment.
He pointed 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 members’ questions.
The committee is expected to investigate the concession of the customs operations to the Trade Modernisation Project and why Webb Fontaine, which has managed the collection process, is still operating the system.
They are also expected to find out the diligence carried out in selecting the Trade Modernisation Project to take over the e-customs processes from Webb Fontaine, what TMP has done with the concession, and the number of modern scanners they have introduced to make clearing goods easier and faster.
