Leke Adeseri and Tordue Salem
28 November 2008
The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) to make copies of its report on Customs available to it, as it begins its investigations into the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The committee which has summoned the Comptroller General of Customs, declared that the Committee would meticulously consider petitions written against some officials in the paramilitary service, with a view to sanitizing operations there.
The Nigerian Customs Services, was investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, in connection with an annual loss of N50 billion in respect of the importation tariff waiver introduced by the Government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Also, the ICPC carried out investigation of several petitions on the Nigerian Customs Service. Two of such, by Doni Odwong and Matthew Shelleng, specifically allege that millions of Naira of Custom's money was creamed off through inflation of contracts.
These contracts include the construction of boreholes in Custom's formations across the country and purchase of generating sets, building of a Custom's academy and a headquarters for the service in Abuja. They also include contracts for the purchase of patrol boats and arms and ammunition.
There were also graver allegations against the Customs than the inflation of contracts.
One of the allegations investigated by the ICPC concerns the manipulation of import waivers and concessions given to importers in sectors where the governments want to encourage investors to explore. Some petitioners claim that such waivers are manipulated by Customs officials in collusion with Customs agents and officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance to aide importation of contraband goods.
A retired customs officer, A.A. Atiku, was also said to have petitioned the presidency and ICPC, complaining, among other things, that the waivers are fraudulently manipulated by Customs men. In support of his claim, Atiku gave the example of an import concession given to the Kebbi State government in 2004 to import borehole drilling rigs, submersible pumps and related equipment duty free. Atiku alleged that a deputy controller general who is friendly with some officials of the Kebbi State government connived with others to include in the state's import waiver a large consignment of iron rods.
On August 23, 2007, Shamsideen Usman, the minister of finance announced the suspension of new waivers and the review of existing ones alleging that government had discovered a huge fraud in the implementation of the waivers which had cost government great losses.
On September 27, of the same year, at the inauguration of auditors and a committee on the review of government waivers, concessions and other incentives led by Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Usman disclosed that the government had gotten some evidence of fraudulent manipulation of the waivers and that investigations had commenced to determine the perpetrators.
At yesterday's session, the House Committee gave the ICPC up till December 2. 2008 to submit the report to the committee, to enable it begin its round of review.
A letter with reference number NASS/3HR/CT.21/06 written to the ICPC by the committee, requested the Commission to furnish it with details of the petitions against the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service.
ICPC is also required to submit the outcome of the commission's "investigation of these petitions and prosecutions if any, any other information or document that will help the committee in effectively discharging constitutional responsibilities"
The letter reads in part "We wish to inform you that the House resolved on 11th Sept. 2008 to mandate its committee on customs to conduct a public hearing on the state of the Nigeria Customs Service and the poor performance of its statutory duties and functions, with na view to ascertaining the underlying problems of the customs and to proffer solutions in tandem with international best practices".
The Committee explained that relevant documents from Customs would assist the Committee to carry out a public hearing.
Some of the documents requested from the customs include" their "nominal roll, evidence of revenue generation and the remittance to the government coffer, list of their recruitment and the number of personnel on their list."
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