The Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, Senator Francis Fadaunsi, has called for the resignation of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS), Colonel Hammed Ali ( Rtd), over alleged failure to combat smuggling and generate enough revenue for the country.
Fadaunsi made the call while fielding questions from journalists in his office on Friday.
He said Customs as a revenue-generating agency, has no excuse whatsoever, for its failure to curb smuggling across the various borders of Nigeria, and generate enough revenue for the implementation of the yearly budget of the country.
He alleged that despite the huge sums allocated for curbing smuggling, various contrabands are in the market.
According to him, Nigeria’s huge borrowings in recent times, are attributed to the failure of revenue-generating agencies like the Customs to meet targets.
Senator Fadaunsi who retired as Deputy Comptroller General of Customs added that the various revenue-generating agencies must be made to sit up.
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The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, ( NCS), Colonel Hammed Ali, ( Rtd), had in his submissions before the Senate’s Joint Committee On Finance, during projections in the 2022 – 2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, ( MTEF), and Fiscal Strategy Paper, ( FSP), declared that poor governance fuels smuggling in the country.
He lamented to the committee that lack of required infrastructure like roads, hospitals, schools, electricity, portable water at borderlines or communities, engender smuggling and emboldened smugglers, who enjoy subtle supports from Nigerians in the affected areas.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
