Lawmakers summon Customs CG over auction of impounded vehicles
By Temitope Adebayo
The House Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali, in connection with the auction of impounded vehicles as scraps by the service.
Ali was directed to appear at the National Assembly due to his failure to show up last week. The invitation followed a petition by the National President of the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers, Musa Kurra, to the committee.
Kurra had alleged the sales of hundreds of vehicles seized from smugglers by the Customs below market values through what the NCS called direct auction allocation.
Sequel to the allegation, the NCS had summoned Kurra to appear before a panel on November 8 with documents to buttress his allegations against the agency.
He, however, refused to honour the invitation, insisting that the Customs should address the allegations of selling seized assets without following due process.
In the summons, Ali was directed to appear in person with one soft copy and 10 hard copies of his brief on the sale of impounded vehicles below the market prices.
The letter signed was by the chairman of the committee, Jerry Alagbaoso, who himself is a retired Customs Comptroller.
Titled ‘Nigeria Association of Auctioneers (petitioner) against Nigeria Customs Service on direct auction allocation of scrap vehicles and other items, the letter reads: “Whereas the above-named petition is now pending before this committee and the particulars of the petition aforesaid are already within your knowledge; whereas the petition has been assigned to be heard by the committee for determination.
‘’You are hereby required to note sections 88 and 89 (c) of our Constitution (as amended) and appear in person before this committee on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 2 pm or so soon thereafter as the committee shall direct. Please, bear in mind the NCDC protocols.
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‘’You are to submit one soft copy and 10 hard copies of your brief on the matter. And further take note that if you do not attend the hearing as required, the case may be heard or determined in your absence.”
The Customs Committee on Direct Disposal of Condemned Scrap Vehicles and Other Items has allegedly sold off 338 impounded vehicles for the sum of N3,380,000. This amounts to an average of N10,000 per vehicle.
Several companies were allocated hundreds of vehicles via a letter signed by the chairman of the direct disposal committee, Comptroller A.D Sanusi.
Kurra, who described the practice as illegal, said he has all the documentary evidence needed to prove his allegations against the NCS.
