Customs Chief in Hot Seat as Reps Probe Alleged Refusal to Retire Officers

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) comptroller-general (CG), Adewale Adeniyi, has been called before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions due to the alleged unwillingness of some personnel to leave the service after attaining retirement age.

A civil society organisation (CSO) called the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation petitioned the lower legislative chamber, arguing that some comptroller and assistant comptroller officials were eligible to retire but had chosen to remain in their positions.

Adeniyi has to appear before the panel next Tuesday and provide an explanation on why some employees have refused to retire following the civil service norm, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Mike Etaba, the chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions.

“Nigerians deserve to know the truth of the matter, and it is only the CG that can clarify the situation,” the statement reads.

“We are elected to serve the people, and ensuring that all government agencies function effectively is part of that service.

“In this era when most of our youths are looking for jobs, it will be wrong for the older ones who are due for retirement to refuse to go.”

“That is not to say we shall take sides, far from it. We treat each case on merit, ensuring that justice is given at all times to the deserving.”

Due to a purported violation of a software development licensing agreement with Truid Limited, the committee also threatened to issue an arrest warrant for Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the director-general of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

In a petition, Truid Limited’s counsel, E.R. Opara, asserted that the agreement was founded on a contract wherein the company built, funded, and implemented the tokenisation system without requiring payment from NIMC.

In return, Truid would recover its investment through service provider patronage, with proceeds shared according to a predetermined ratio.

The agreement was initially set to run for 10 years, starting from 2021, when the software was deployed.

Opara said the NIMC DG has been attempting to terminate the agreement since she was appointed by President Bola Tinubu.

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Speaking on the matter, Etaba said the committee would issue a warrant of arrest for Coker-Odusote if she fails to appear before the panel.

“If she fails to show up at the next hearing of this case, we will have no option other than to ask the inspector-general of police to bring her,” the lawmaker said.

“How can an official of government treat constituted authority with such levity? We can no longer condone such an attitude.”

The committee handles petitions referred to it by the House.