Reps Summon Customs, CBN, 5 Others Over Alleged Concession Scam

The House of Representatives Joint Committees on Finance, Customs and Public Petitions, has summoned the Attorney General of the Federation, the Governor of Central Bank, the Comptroller General of Customs and the Ministry of Finance,Budget and National Planning, to appear before it over alleged multi-billion naira concession scam on modernization of the Nigerian Customs projects.

Others summoned by the Committee to appear before it next week, are the Managing Director/CEO of HUAWEI Technical Services Provider, Managing Director/CEO Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Ltd, Bionica Technologies (West Africa) Limited, and Managing Director/CEO of African Finance Corporation.

The Joint Committee issued the summon on Thursday through a statement jointly signed by Hon James Faleke, Hon Yuguda Hassan Kila and Hon Jerry Alagbaoso, chairmen of House Committees on Finance, Customs and Public Petitions respectively.

The summoned heads of the agencies, according to the panel, are to explain their roles in an alleged Concession Scam on the Nigerian Customs projects.

It was gathered that the investigation which would commence next week Wednesday, came on the heels of an adopted motion on the floor of the House on October 10, 2019.

The Motion tagged the transaction, as a “Curious Proposed Concession Arrangement between the Consortium (Bionica Technologies West Africa Limited-Sponsors), Bergman Security Consultant and Supplies Limited(Co-sponsors), African Finance Corporation (Lead Financiers) and Huawei Lead Technical Service Provider and the Nigeria Regulatory Commission(ICRC) for the Customs Modernization Project”.

The House of Representatives seeks a “Suspension of Proposed Concession Arrangement for the Customs Modernization Project”, to ascertain the propriety of the deal and to verify allegations that it might be a scam, meant to defraud the country.

The CBN is expected to furnish the Committee with “details breakdown of cash inflows, application and balances of the 1% Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) account from 2013 and 2019, while Bionica, AFC, Huawei and Bergmans are expected to furnish the Committee, will detail of their Certificates of Incorporation.

According to the statement, “the Committee is conducting the investigation, in line with section 88(1) (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the country.

“The section empowers the National Assembly as a quasi-judicial body, it is to conduct investigations and even issue punitive recommendations

The Joint Committee in issuing the summons also warned the parties to suspend the proposed concession arrangement for the “Customs Modernization Project.”

The modernisation project was conceptualised to make Customs operations electronic and more efficient in line with global standards.