The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Finance, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, the Chairman, CBN Technical Committee on Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS), the Controller General of Nigeria Customs Service, and the Managing Director of Adani Mega Systems Ltd over the stalled E-Customs project.
This followed the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent importance, moved by Leke Abejide (APC, Kogi) on Thursday.
The house mandated its committees on Customs & Excise, Finance, Banking and Currency to wade into the lingering dispute between the CBN committee on CISS and Adani Mega Systems limited which hindered the take-off of the project for years.
The Federal Executive Council on 2nd of September 2020 approved a 20-year Nigeria Customs Automation Scheme.
The project involves using technology to drive all processes and procedures in the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and would lead to exponential increments in productivity, returns and process management.
The E-Customs project has a value of $3.1 billion, but Nigeria will not spend a dime directly. The country will instead gain $176 billion returns over 20 years from the estimated expenditure granted to the concessionaire.
Presenting the motion, Abejide stated that the CBN Technical Committee on Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) had an agreement with Adani Mega Systems Ltd to engage the latter as Service Provider/Vendor for screening service infrastructure for the inspection of all inbound and outbound cargoes in Nigeria.
He said the CBN had in the letter of engagement dated 11th February, 2017, stated its statutory mandate to manage and supervise the project (as provided in Sections 13(1), 15(i), and 5 of Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act, and Pre-Shipment Inspection of Imports Act).
He said: “A Build, Operate, and Own Agreement between the Technical Committee on CISS (on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria) and Adani Mega Systems Ltd in relation to the provision of the scanning services infrastructures (scanners) required for all operations was sealed and a certificate of “NO OBJECTION” was granted by the BPP after evaluating the profile of the company.” Daily Trust.