By David Agba
Abuja
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col Hammed Ali is one of the leading heads of government agencies, who are billed to appear before the House of Representatives next Wednesday, following reports and rising incidences of abuse of import waivers by importers.
Other heads of government agencies and functionaries invited by the lower chamber to appear before it over waivers include the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, executives of the apex bank, importers, inspection services agents and other critical stakeholders over their alleged roles in the sector, regarding waivers grants between 2010 till date.
The House of Representatives Committee on Customs also invited erstwhile Destination Inspection (DI) and network service providers, SGS, Cotecna, Global Scan and Web Fountain Nigeria Limited.
According to the committee, all the critical stakeholders that were sent letters over three weeks ago are to appear before it on Wednesday, December 13, 2017.
The Committee in a letter dated 13 November and signed by the Committee Chairman, Hon Aboidun Faleke, APC, Lagos, advised the stakeholders to appear before it, armed with “schedules of all beneficiaries with respect to all duty waivers, exemptions, concessions, processed by you in the fiscal year 2010 till date, to make presentation as the investigative hearing starts next week.
“Schedules of all beneficiaries with respect to all bonds indemnity upon which imports were processed by the Nigeria Customs Service in the fiscal year 2010 to date,” were also required of the invitees.
It would be recall that the House had on November 8 collapsed three motions all calling for the probe of issuance of waivers and revenue leakages in the declaration of custom duties.
Since the invitation, it was gathered that only bank executives had so far responded to the requirements of the investigative panel.
