Reps Summon Customs Boss Over Alleged Tenure Elongation, Threaten Arrest of NIMC DG

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has issued a formal summons to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, mandating his appearance before the committee next Tuesday. This directive stems from a petition alleging that several senior officers within the service have overstayed their retirement dates, refusing to vacate their positions.
According to Chooks Oko, the Head of Media for the committee, the petition—filed by the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation—accuses specific officials, including Assistant Comptrollers Imam, Umar, and Egwu, as well as Comptrollers Awe, Fatia, and Faith, of deliberately evading retirement protocols.
Issuing the summons, the House emphasized that Adeniyi, as a public officeholder, must clarify the situation to Nigerians.
“The citizens deserve transparency regarding this issue, and the Customs boss is in the best position to provide those answers. As representatives of the people, we are duty-bound to ensure that all government agencies uphold fairness and efficiency. It is unjustifiable for senior officers to hold onto positions when younger, qualified professionals are seeking employment opportunities,” stated Mike Etaba, Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee.
He further assured that the committee remains neutral, emphasizing that every case will be handled on its merit, with fairness as the guiding principle.
In a separate development, the committee has issued a stern warning to the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), threatening to initiate her arrest should she fail to personally appear before the House to address allegations surrounding an unpaid software development contract.
According to Oko, Truid Limited, a private technology firm, filed a petition accusing NIMC of violating a software licensing agreement. Legal counsel for Truid Limited, E. R. Opara, stated that the contract entailed the development and deployment of a tokenization system, with no initial financial obligation on NIMC’s part. The agreement, designed to last for ten years from 2021, permitted Truid Limited to recover its investment through service provider patronage, with revenue sharing based on a pre-agreed ratio.
However, the petition claims that since the appointment of the current NIMC DG, attempts have been made to invalidate the contract, leading to a financial standoff.
Reacting to the persistent absence of the NIMC DG, Committee Chairman Mike Etaba issued a final warning:
“Should she fail to attend the next hearing, we will have no choice but to instruct the Inspector General of Police to ensure her presence. It is unacceptable for a senior government official to flout parliamentary summons with such disregard. We cannot condone this level of impunity.”
With both cases now under legislative scrutiny, all eyes remain on the House of Representatives as it seeks to enforce accountability within key government institutions.