By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives Committee on Custom and Excise has called on President Bola Tinubu to sack all heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, who refuse to honour invitations by parliament.
A member of the committee, Awoji-Inombek Abiante, who made the appeal yesterday during an investigative panel at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, informed that the failure of heads of MDAs to appear before it, after invitation letters had been served, means that they are not ready for the job they were given by Nigerians.
During the investigative hearing, the Minister of Interior, Olubumi Tunji-Ojo, Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Bashair Adeniyi, as well as the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Kemi Nandap were absent.
It was gathered that the green chamber at two sittings had ordered the committees to investigate the modernisation project of the Nigerian Customs Service (e-customs) concession to the Trade Mordenisation Project, TMP, and the role of Webb Fontaine in the E-Customs framework, as well as the need to employ modern technology to secure Nigeria’s borders and address the challenges posed by illegal migration and border management.
Lawmakers under the Committee on Customs and Excise had invited major key stakeholders and heads of ministries and parastatals such as the Interior Ministry, comptrollers of Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, among others, to its hearing yesterday at the National Assembly, but were all represented by their subordinates.
Also speaking, a member of the committee, Olumide Osoba, moved a motion that the panel should postpone the hearing for another date to enable all the heads of MDAs and CEOs appear in person.
The lawmaker also frowned at the absence of the chief executives, citing Section 88 of the constitution which gives parliament the power to invite any individual to appear before it to offer explanation, adding that in such instance, only the chief executives of the agencies are to appear before parliament.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members of the committee, leading to a pronouncement by the Chairman, Leke Abejide that the investigation has been postponed sine die, informing that another date for the probe will be fixed to enable all the parties invited attend in person.
In his opening remarks, Abejide stressed the importance of investigating the modernisation project of the Nigeria Customs Service otherwise known as E-Customs for the purpose of enhancing trade modernisation across the country.
The chairman also emphasised the importance of oversight functions by parliament as enshrined in the constitution, warning heads of ministries, parastatals and agencies against tendencies that might provoke issuance of warrant of arrest.
According to the lawmaker, his panel will no longer tolerate any form of absenteeism from those invited to appear before it no matter the status of those involved.
