The House of Representatives has amended the Customs Act, making it mandatory for the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to be appointed from within the ranks of the agency.
To end the appointment of non-customs officers to that position, the lawmakers had to repeal the Customs and Excise Management Act and re-enact new legislation in its place.
The current CGC, Hameed Ali, a retired army colonel, was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Mr Ali’s relationship with the federal parliament has been frosty, and it peaked during the controversy over uniforms.
ALSO READ: 2023 Elections: Anxiety as PDP zoning committee submits undisclosed report to NWC
The 8th Senate had asked Mr Ali to wear the uniform of the NSC to appear before the lawmakers, but he declined, with the argument that the invitation did not indicate that he should wear a uniform.
“My not wearing a uniform does not breach any law. No law, to my knowledge, compels me to wear a uniform. No law says in doing my service, I have to wear a uniform,” Ali said.
The lawmakers, therefore, ejected Mr Ali from the chamber following a motion to that effect.
On Tuesday, the Committee of the Whole of the House considered the report on the bill and passed it. The sponsor of the bill, Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi), who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, while speaking on the report, said this is the first major reform of the law in 63 years.
He noted that the existing act is obsolete and cannot meet the needs of customs in the digital age.
He added that the language used in crafting the law is also obsolete.
On the appointment of a CGC, Mr Abejide said there is a need for legislative input into the appointment of Comptroller General of Customs similar to other organisations like Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Service Chiefs.
He argued that the move is a matter of national security.
He explained that all laws relating to customs and excise will be collated into a single legislation.
In addition, the bill seeks to eradicate the seven per cent cost of collection used to fund the budget of customs. In its place, the bill is seeking four per cent of Free on Board for funding of the agency.
Explaining the rationale for the changes to the funding of the agency, Mr Abejide said the existing seven per cent cost of collection is not sufficient to fund the salaries and benefits of officers, explaining that the four per cent FOB is international best practice.
All the clauses in the bill were taken without objection from the members.
