By: Sandra Ukeredi
The Transparency and Budget Monitoring Group (TBMG) has described as “unfortunate” the failure of the former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali, to remit N62 billion funds generated during his era as the Customs boss.
The Senate Public Account Committee has initiated an investigation into the alleged under-remittance of N62 billion by the Customs Service under Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Hamid Ali’s successor.
The Committee, which sat recently, gave the current Customs boss a two-week ultimatum to provide a defense against the accusation of under-remittance. The Auditor General’s Report revealed N62 billion unremitted funds.
In a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna, the former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali, had appeared before the then Senate Committee on Public Accounts after he was summoned several times by the panel.
The statement signed by the Secretary, Garba Mohamed Gusau, claimed Ali, who appeared before the committee to respond to queries in an auditor-general’s report, did not remit the funds before he left office.
According to the report currently under review by the committee, concerns are raised over the disparity between the NCS’s reported total collection of N691 billion for the federation account and the actual remittance of N629 billion into the account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The statement further reads: “We are therefore urging the Senate to launch an investigation into the outstanding debts and financial discrepancies and ensure the need for transparency and accountability within the Nigerian Customs Service under the current administration.”
The Transparency and Budget Monitoring Group is also calling for the former Customs boss, Hamid Ali, to be investigated and prosecuted over the alleged under-remittance.
The group’s call for investigation and prosecution is aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the Nigerian Customs Service.
Dan Zaki Media 