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 of the service have refused to retire after reaching their due retirement dates.
The summons follows a petition filed by Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, which accused several Assistant Comptrollers and Comptrollers of deliberately overstaying their tenure in violation of public service regulations. The petition also named the officers allegedly involved.
Chairman of the committee, Mike Etaba, emphasized the need for transparency, stating that Nigerians deserve to know the true situation.
“In a time when many of our youths are struggling to find employment, it is unfair for those due for retirement to refuse to leave,” he said. “This is not about taking sides but ensuring justice and accountability.”
In a related development, the committee has warned that it may order the arrest of the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) if she fails to personally appear before lawmakers to answer allegations regarding a breached agreement with Truid Limited, a private software firm.
According to the petition, Truid Limited developed and deployed a tokenization system for NIMC in 2021 under a revenue-sharing agreement. However, the firm claims that the new NIMC DG has been attempting to terminate the agreement unfairly, disrupting the project’s operations.
Despite multiple invitations, the NIMC boss has failed to appear before the committee. Etaba condemned her repeated absence, warning that the lawmakers would be forced to involve law enforcement if she does not attend the next hearing.
“We will have no choice but to ask the Inspector-General of Police to bring her in,” he said. “No government official is above the law.”
The committee’s actions underscore the House’s commitment to ensuring compliance with public service regulations and contractual agreements in government agencies.
Comments