By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has directed the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, to appear before it on Tuesday February 18, 2025, and respond to allegations regarding the continued service of certain senior officers beyond their retirement dates.
The Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation had petitioned the 10th House, claiming that some Assistant Comptrollers and Comptrollers—identified as Imam, Umar, and Egwu, as well as Awe, Fatia, and Faith had reached their mandatory retirement dates but refused to step down.
In issuing the summons, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Mike Etaba stressed the importance of transparency in public service.
He said: “Nigerians deserve to know the true situation, and only the Customs Comptroller General can provide clarity.
“With many young Nigerians seeking employment, it is unacceptable for those due for retirement to hold onto positions meant for fresh recruits”.
Rep. Etaba emphasised that the Committee remains impartial, committed to ensuring justice based on the merits of each case.
In a related matter, the Committee has warned that it may issue an arrest order for the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) if she fails to appear in person to respond to allegations of a breached software agreement.
Truid Limited, a private firm, claims that NIMC failed to honour a license agreement for a tokenization system it developed and deployed at no initial cost to the commission.
The agreement, signed in 2021, allowed Truid to recoup its investment through service provider transactions, with revenue shared between both parties over a ten-year period.
However, the petition alleged that the new NIMC DG has been attempting to terminate the arrangement, leading to a dispute.
Chairman Etaba expressed dissatisfaction over the DG’s repeated absence despite multiple invitations.
“If she fails to appear at the next hearing, we will have no choice but to request the Inspector General of Police to compel her attendance.
“Government officials cannot continue to disregard constituted authority”, he stated.