Reps To Compel CG NCS, MD NPA To Appear Before It

By Oduyemi Odumade

The House of Representatives has threatened to invoke relevant legislative powers to compel the new Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Adewale Adeniyi and the Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko to appear before it.

The majority Leader of the House, Professor Julius Ihonbvere issued the threat at the resumed investigative hearing into the disposal of public property by the Agencies between 2010 and 2022.

According to him, the move will unravel the extent of illegal auctioning of public property and non-remittance of revenue realized into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

The Chairman of the adhoc committee who frowned at the level of disregard for the Parliament by some heads of various Agencies, “particularly the Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority said the adhoc Commitee had summoned the Agencies twice but they refused to show up.

“We are not going to appeal to them again, we are not going to call them, we are not going to write to them; they would hear from the appropriate sections of the House of Representatives”.

Meanwhile, the Director General/CEO of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jimoh, is expected to appear before the Ad-hoc Committee to give further details on the sales of 82 vehicles at a paltry sum of N5.8 million over the past 12 years as presented by the Executive Director Finance and Admin, Mr. Chudi Offodile.

In line with the resolution passed by the Ad-hoc Committee, Mr. Jimoh is expected to present the list of all the Auctioneers and beneficiaries of the vehicles, the original cost of vehicles and invoices, letter of contract awards for auctioning of the assets to the Auctioneers; relevant approvals obtained from Federal Ministry of Works & Housing as well as Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP.

Edited By Grace Namiji