An Ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives has asked relevant government agencies to provide all necessary documents on pre-shipment inspection of exports and the non-remittance of crude oil proceeds.
The agencies include the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture.
The chairman of the committee, Seyi Sowunmi (LP-Lagos), gave the directive at a public hearing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the documents already submitted were not up to date and that the committee needed to be updated before the next date of appearance.
The lawmaker said that the investigation was crucial as it seeks to address some of the issues that are causing the country to lose the needed revenues through leakages.
He said that all relevant agencies will be informed of the dates to appear before the committee and when to submit the needed comprehensive documents requested.
The NCS comptroller general, Bashir Adeniyi, explained the role of customs in line with its establishment Act and other extant laws of the country.
Mr Adeniyi said that the service only ensures that documents tally at the point of export, adding that the collection of duties is outside the agency’s purview.
The CBN governor, Yemi Cardoso, said that the apex bank served as the rallying point for the activities of other agencies through platforms that process data and information.
Mr Cardoso said that the Act of 1992 of the CBN saddled the agency with responsibility for the administrative side of pre-shipment inspection.
He said that the Pre-Inspection Act does not give the apex bank the power to appoint a pre-inspection agent.
The NPA managing director, Abubakar Dantsoho, explained that the authority appoints agents stationed at export terminals who relay all information to the agency.
Mr Dantsoho said that the NPA works hand in hand with other government agencies as provided by law, and that it has a defined jurisdictional role in its activities at the export terminals.
A director at NACCIMA, Emmanuel Akeh, explained that the organisation is the umbrella body of the country’s chambers of commerce.
He said, though the organisation does not have any role in Crude oil exports, it only issues certificates of origin, which are trade documents that certify their originality and authenticate the products going out of the country.
(NAN)
