Senate demands redeployment of Customs Comptrollers in Katsina, Kaduna, Idiroko over abuse of rules of engagement

 

…Observance of rule of law key to democracy—Akpabio

 

By Adekunle Adesuji,Abuja

 

 

 

Senate on Tuesday indicted the Comptrollers of Customs in Kaduna, Katsina and Idiroko for jettisoning rules of engagement.

 

 

The indictment of Comptrollers in Katsina , Kadina and Idiroko was seuel to the report submitted by the Senate Adhoc Committee on Abuse of Forearms by Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service chaired by Senator Francis Fadahunsi.

 

 

In the report laid by Senator Fadahunsi, it was established that traders and non-traders are being made to.obtainn unofficial receipt before allow padsge with legitimate goods and it was also established that disbanded strike force of Federal Operation Unit shoot at innocent citizens , raidarkets and chased smugglers into towns which always lead to.loss of lives..

 

 

The Senate therefore asked the Customs Comptrollers General to investigate issuance of unofficial receipts at the nation”s borders by Officials of Nigeria Customs .

 

 

Fadahunsi while presenting the report which was unanimously adopted by the Senate said Federal Government should lift the 20km ban on sales of petroleum products in border communities.

 

 

 

Part of the report of the committee adopted by Senate reads, “Federal Government should direct the Comptroller General of Customs and Heads of other security agencies to as a matter of national inclusion, reduce the multiple checkpoints mounted along the corridors of border communities. This will enable the free flow of goods, especially farm produce, in, around and out of these Communities to the main towns and around the markets in the border communities.

 

 

“The Comptroller General of Customs should investigate and review the alleged issuance of unofficial receipt to traders and non-traders in Jibia and Mai’adua, Katsina State by officials of Customs and other security agencies. This act has caused untold hardship to people living in these communities, as moving of goods (farm produce) across major markets and even to Katsina town and other neighboring States is a herculean task.

 

“The Comptroller General of Customs should redeploy the Comptrollers of Kastina/Kaduna and Idiroko Area Commands, and appoint replacements who should establish a good community engagement programme. This will create a healthy relationship, make the Customs realize its mandate without being insensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the Communities in the State.

 

“Federal Government should lift the 20km ban on sales of petroleum products in border communities. This policy is a threat to peaceful coexistence, a denial of the people to belong to the larger Nigeria society and a serious cause of hardship in these communities.

 

“. Federal Government in making policies, should put into consideration the ancestral bond/relationship that exists between the border communities in Nigeria.”

 

 

In another development, The President of the Senate, Senator Godswil Obot Akpabio, has expressed the commitment of the National Assembly to ensure that the rule of law remains the foundation of the country’s democracy.

 

He stated this when he delivered a keynote address at a workshop organized by the Senate Committee on Compliance, with a theme; ‘The Imperative of Legislative Compliance in Deepening Democracy and Good Governance in Nigeria’, at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.

 

Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, the Senate President appreciated the Chairman and other members of the Committee for putting the workshop together, adding that the workshop is another bit of evidence that the present Senate will ensure the rule of law remains the foundation of the country’s democracy.

 

He said since the establishment of the Committee in 2016, it had become the eyes of the Senate and has sought to ensure compliance with legislative resolutions with the various institutions of government to ensure compliance for democracy to thrive.

 

He assured of the commitments of the Senate through the Committee to ensure respect for rules of law governing the various sectors of the country to ensure well-being and development among the citizens of the nation.

 

“The 10th Senate is fully conscious that it carries a mandate freely given to its members in one of the fairest and freest elections ever in the country. We are conscious that to whom much is given, much is expected. So, the Tenth Senate is a mass movement that carries the desires, hopes and wishes of our people.

 

“Therefore, let this workshop raise awareness of the importance of the decisions and resolutions of the Senate. Let it generate confidence among and obtain support and commitment from relevant agencies, ministries and departments to emphasize the need to set up robust compliance mechanisms and systems,” he said.

 

He appreciated the Committee and its members for their performance in strengthening the relationship between the executive arm of government and the Senate, assuring that members of the public would appreciate more the dynamics of lawmaking and see the need for laws to be respected to have a decent society and breathe the air of democracy.

 

“Though this Committee was established on December 15, 2016, in the 8th Senate, it has discharged its duties responsibly and has never given the Senate any reason to regret its setting up. Past members of the Committee, starting from Senator Bukola Saraki, who was the inaugural committee, deserve our plaudits for their dedication to duties and commitment to building and deepening our democracy,” he said.