The House of Representatives has mandated three committees to resolve the lingering crisis between the Central Bank of Nigeria’s technical committee on Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) and Adani Mega Systems Ltd.

This was a sequel to a unanimous adoption of the Leke Abejide (ADC-Kogi) motion at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion, Mr Abejide said the CBN‘s committee had an agreement with Adani Mega Systems Ltd, having engaged the firm as a service provider/vendor for screening service infrastructure for the inspection of all inbound and outbound cargo in Nigeria.

The legislator noted that the CBN, in the said letter of engagement, dated February 1, 2017, also 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).

“Aware that a Build, Operate, and Own (BOO) agreement between the 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 Bureau of Public Procurement after evaluating the profile of the company,” he explained. “Concerned that the level of engagement had reached the turning point whereby Adani Mega Systems Ltd had procured necessary equipment to commence the E-Customs projects as provided for in the contract.”

But since July 13, 2017, said the lawmaker, the project had stalled without a solution in sight, further causing tremendous revenue loss to the federal government, which, according to the finance ministry, had earlier appraised the project as having the potential of yielding up to $176 billion for the 20 year concession period.

“If the e-Customs is allowed to take off by settling the issues between the CBN and ADANl, the issue of borrowing will be reduced to the barest minimum, if not eradicated,” added Mr Abejide. “This is because the Nigeria Customs Service would be able to generate twice, if not thrice, of what is currently being generated. Despite all these obstacles, there is the possibility of the NCS to generate over N2 trillion this year 2021.”

Mr Abejide further urged that in the country’s interest and to reduce Nigeria’s debt profile, the lingering crisis between the CBN’s committee and Adani Mega Systems Ltd needed to be urgently resolved.

The parliament resolved that its committees on Customs and Excise, Finance, Banking and Currency should invite the CBN governor, the committee on CISS, the finance minister, the customs’ controller general and Adani’s managing director.

In his ruling, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, mandated the committee to resolve the matter for the project’s take-off and report to the parliament in four weeks.

(NAN)