The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, to appear before it on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
The summons follows allegations that some senior officials of the service have refused to retire despite reaching their due retirement dates.
The petition, submitted by the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, claims that several Assistant Comptrollers and Comptrollers were due for retirement but had deliberately remained in service.
A statement released on Wednesday by Chooks Oko, Head of Media for the House Committee on Public Petitions, named the officers in question as Imam, Umar, and Egwu (Assistant Comptrollers), and Awe, Fatia, and Faith (Comptrollers).
Issuing the summons, the Committee emphasized the need for accountability, stating:
“Nigerians deserve to know the truth of the matter, and only the CG can clarify the situation. We are elected to serve the people and ensure that all government agencies function effectively as part of that service.”
Chairman of the Committee, Mike Etaba, further stressed:
“In this era, when most of our youths are seeking employment, it is unfair for those due for retirement to refuse to leave. That is not to say we shall take sides—far from it. We treat each case on merit, ensuring that justice is served at all times to those who deserve it.”
In a related matter, the Committee has warned that it will order the arrest of the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, if she fails to appear in person to respond to allegations regarding an unpaid software development project.
The allegations were made by Truid Limited, a private firm, which claimed that NIMC had breached a licence agreement for a tokenisation system that was developed, deployed, and funded entirely by the company, without any financial obligation on NIMC’s part.
According to Opara, counsel to Truid Limited, the agreement allowed the company to recover its investment through patronage by service providers, with proceeds shared based on an agreed ratio.
The arrangement was intended to last for ten years, starting in 2021, when the software was first deployed.
However, the petition alleges that issues arose following the appointment of the new NIMC Director General, who is now reportedly attempting to terminate the agreement unilaterally.
Reacting to arguments presented by the legal representatives of both parties, Etaba criticized the repeated absence of the NIMC DG at previous hearings.
“If she fails to appear at the next hearing, we will have no option but to direct the Inspector General of Police to compel her attendance. How can a government official treat a constituted authority with such levity? We will no longer condone such behaviour,” he warned.
