The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, to appear before it next Tuesday over allegations that some top officials have refused to retire despite reaching their due retirement dates.
The petition, filed by the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, alleges that several senior officers, including Assistant Comptrollers Imam, Umar, and Egwu, as well as Comptrollers Awe, Fatia, and Faith, have remained in service beyond their retirement period. Issuing the summons, the committee emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in public service. Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Mike Etaba, underscored the importance of the hearing, stating that Nigerians deserve clarity on the issue.
“Nigerians deserve to know the truth of the matter, and it is only the Comptroller General who can clarify the situation. We are elected to serve the people, and ensuring that all government agencies function effectively is part of that service. In an era where our youths are in dire need of jobs, it is unacceptable for those due for retirement to refuse to exit,” Etaba stated. He further assured that the Committee would remain impartial, treating each case based on its merit to ensure justice is served.
NIMC DG Faces Possible Arrest Over Breach of Agreement
In a related development, the House Committee has threatened to order the arrest of the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) if she fails to personally appear before the Committee to respond to allegations of non-payment for a state-of-the-art software development project deployed by a private firm, Truid Limited.
Truid Limited has accused NIMC of breaching a license agreement. According to the company’s legal counsel, E. R. Opara, the agreement allowed Truid Limited to develop and deploy a tokenization system at no initial financial obligation to NIMC. The company was to recover its investment through service providers’ patronage, with proceeds shared under a pre-agreed ratio for an initial 10-year period starting in 2021. However, the petition alleges that the current NIMC DG has attempted to undermine the agreement since assuming office, disrupting the previously smooth operation of the contract.
Reacting to the matter, Hon. Etaba expressed frustration over the continuous absence of the NIMC DG despite multiple invitations.
“If she fails to show up at the next hearing, we will have no option but to direct the Inspector General of Police to compel her attendance. How can a government official treat constituted authority with such disregard? We can no longer condone such attitude,” he declared.
The Committee has vowed to pursue both matters rigorously to ensure adherence to public service regulations and contract agreements.
