13th February 2025
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, to appear on February 18, 2025. The summons follows a petition from the Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation, alleging that some senior officers have refused to retire despite reaching their due dates.
A statement by the committee’s Head of Media, Chooks Oko, listed the affected officers as Assistant Comptrollers Imam, Umar, and Egwu, along with Comptrollers Awe, Fatia, and Faith.
Committee Chairman Mike Etaba emphasized the need for transparency, stating, “Nigerians deserve to know the truth, and the CG must clarify the situation. We are here to serve the people and ensure government agencies function properly. With many youths seeking jobs, it is unfair for those due for retirement to remain in service.”
In a related matter, the committee also warned that it would order the arrest of the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, if she fails to appear over a dispute with Truid Limited. The company alleges that NIMC breached an agreement regarding a tokenization system it developed and deployed.
Etaba criticized the NIMC DG’s repeated absence, stating, “If she fails to appear at the next hearing, we will instruct the Inspector General of Police to bring her in. Government officials cannot ignore constituted authority.”
