The House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee investigating pre-shipment inspection of exports and non-remittance of crude oil proceeds has directed key agencies to submit comprehensive documents detailing their roles in the process.
The chairman of the committee, Hon. Seyi Sowunmi, issued the directive at a resumed investigative hearing in Abuja on Wednesday.
The agencies affected are the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
The committee said submissions made by representatives of the agencies were not up to date, adding that fresh dates would be communicated for them to reappear with complete records.
Representing the Comptroller General of the NCS, DCG Caroline Diagwan said the service acts strictly within its establishment Act and other extant laws.
She explained that customs processes the NXP form, certificate of inspection and export permits to ensure that export documents tally with goods at the point of shipment.
She added that Customs carries out examination and physical inspection of exports but does not collect export duties or determine payments made to the government, noting that such matters are outside its mandate.
On its part, the CBN, represented by a director, Musa Nakurji, clarified that it handles the administrative framework for pre-shipment inspection under the 1992 Act but does not appoint inspection agents.
He stressed that the NXP process is automated and accessible to customs through the bank’s trade monitoring platforms.
Nakurji explained that exporters open Form NXP through commercial banks, while pre-shipment agents issue a Clean Certificate of Inspection after verifying the quantity, quality and value of goods.
The NPA, represented by its General Manager Ibrahim Lukman, told the panel that it stations appointed agents at export terminals to relay information to the authority it works with.
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