Reps committee demands documents from Customs, NPA, CBN, NACCIMA on pre-shipment probe
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating Pre-Shipment Inspection of Exports and the Non-Remittance of Crude Oil Proceeds has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating Pre-Shipment Inspection of Exports and the Non-Remittance of Crude Oil Proceeds has directed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) to submit all documents relevant to the ongoing probe.
The directive followed submissions by agency representatives at a resumed hearing on Wednesday, where they indicated they did not have complete details of the requested documents.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, said the panel would formally communicate new dates for the agencies to appear and submit comprehensive documentation.
Earlier, the agencies outlined their respective roles in the pre-shipment process for oil and non-oil exports at the nation’s export terminals.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, Deputy Comptroller-General Caroline Diagwan explained that the NCS operates strictly within the provisions of its establishing Act and other extant laws.
She said the Service’s role in exports involves processing the Nigeria Export Proceed (NXP) form, certificates of inspection, and export permits.
According to her, Customs ensures that the documents correspond with the actual goods presented for export through examination and physical inspection.
“Our role as regards export is that we receive the NXP certificate of inspection and export permit, and ensure they tally with what is physically presented at the point of export,” she said.
Diagwan added that Customs does not collect export duties in the cases under review and does not determine the amount paid to the government, as that falls outside its mandate. She noted that export operations take place at designated terminals under the Oil and Gas Command in Port Harcourt and other commands in Edo and Delta States, with monthly returns forwarded to headquarters.
Also speaking, Director at the CBN, Dr. Musa Nakurji, who represented the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, said the apex bank serves as the administrative coordinator of pre-shipment inspection activities under the Pre-Shipment Inspection Act of 1992.
He clarified that the CBN does not appoint pre-inspection agents and that the NXP process is fully automated. According to him, Customs accesses the required data electronically through the trade monitoring system.
Nakurji explained that once an exporter’s commercial bank opens the NXP form, a pre-inspection agent examines the goods for quantity, quality, and value before issuing a Clean Certificate of Inspection (CCI), which is required for export.
On its part, the General Manager, Tariff, NPA, Ibrahim Lukman, who represented the Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said the Authority deploys agents at export terminals to monitor activities and relay information. He stated that the NPA works in collaboration with other government agencies within its legally defined jurisdiction at the ports.
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Meanwhile, NACCIMA Director, Dr. Emmanuel Akeh, told the Committee that the organisation, as the umbrella body for chambers of commerce in Nigeria, has no role in crude oil exports.
He explained that NACCIMA’s involvement is limited to issuing certificates of origin for non-oil exports to authenticate the source of products.
In his remarks, Sowunmi stressed that the investigation was vital to curbing revenue leakages and ensuring accountability.
“Part of the problems Mr. President is trying to address is the need to account for every kobo that accrues to the nation. That is what this Committee seeks to achieve,” he said.
The Committee ruled that the agencies would be notified in writing of their next appearance and directed that any official representing the head of an agency must present a letter of authorisation empowering them to speak on behalf of their principal.
