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FEC approves NN142.24bn e-Customs project amid controversy
Amid controversy, the Federal government has approved an e-Customs modernization project at N142.24 billion.
The approval is coming amid reports of an existing court order restraining the e-custom project from proceeding.
Meanwhile, Clem Agba, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning said he is unaware of any court order on the project.
He disclosed this to State House correspondents shortly after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Villa in Abuja.
Agba explained that the concessionaire includes Bergman Securities Consultant and Suppliers Limited as the project sponsor, Africa Finance Corporation UFC as the lead financier and Huawei Technologies as the lead technical service provider.
Agba said the concessionaire had furnished the government with $9m (N4.14 billion) security from the satisfactory performance of the project plus a debt facility timesheet in the sum of $300m (N138 billion) to finance the first phase of the project.
He stressed that the concessionaire would take 45 per cent of all that accrues to the comprehensive input service scheme while 55 per cent goes to the federal government confers.
The Minister added that the concessionaire would also keep 25 per cent of what accrues to the Nigerian export supervision scheme, while 75 per cent will go to the federal government.
But on April 18, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria reportedly asked the Federal Government, Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to obey the court order regarding a dispute on the multi-million Naira E-customs modernization project.
The legal luminary, Messrs Ahmed Raji and Dipo Okpeseyi, in separate court letters obtained by DAILY POST, warned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, against efforts being made to get the Federal Executive Council’s approval over the re-award of the project.
Okpeseyi, according to the letter dated April 11, 2023, to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said, “It is despite all these that the Nigeria Customs Service is pushing to have the FEC grant another approval with the sole purpose of embarrassing, reaching and undermining the earlier approval and ratification by the FEC and prejudice the matter pending in court.”
Recall that in June 2022, the Federal High Court in Abuja had restricted the Federal Government from enforcing and giving effect to an agreement on the Customs Modernisation Project allegedly executed by its agents on May 30, 2022.
The e-Customs concession project has continued to be controversial over time, stalling its implementation.
The development comes amid Nigerians’ concerns about hasty project approvals in the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described the planned increase in electricity and telecom tariffs as unconscionable.
The statement comes after the telecoms regulator last week approved the increase in mobile tariffs.
The federal government also recently said that plans were ongoing to increase electricity tariffs “over the next few months.”
However, Sani, who said the government’s plan is unreasonable, insisted that it should be halted.
The ex-lawmaker also expressed his support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the scheduled protest against the government’s proposal, calling it a welcome development.
“The planned increase in electricity tariffs in the midst of poor power supply and the proposal to increase telecom tariffs is unconscionable and should be halted. The scheduled labour union protest is a welcome development,” he posted on X.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has revealed his decision to cut off all future funding to South Africa, citing poor treatment of “certain classes of people.”
Trump made this known on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
According to Trump, South Africa was seizing land and mistreating some citizens without concern for the violations of their rights.
“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.
Reports suggest that the American leader may be defending White South Africans, some of whom have alleged that the South African policy is unfair to them.
There are indications that the federal government will on Monday meet with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to stop the planned Tuesday nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications tariff hike.
A reliable source familiar with the matter, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this on Monday morning, noting that the meeting between the NLC leadership and the federal government is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday.
The source said the meeting was a “dialogue on matters of national interest as it affects Nigerian workers.”
According to the source, it will be an inter-ministerial meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), purposely to resolve issues raised by the NLC concerning the federal government’s approved upward adjustment to telecommunications tariffs, which the NLC, its allies, and others are vehemently opposing.
This comes as the NLC is already mobilizing workers for a mass protest tomorrow (February 4) against the 50 percent tariff hike approval.
On Thursday last week, in a letter to affiliate unions and state councils, NLC General Secretary Emma Ugboaja urged them to mobilize other Nigerians to send a serious message to the government.
The planned protest follows the 50 percent telecom tariff approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on January 20, 2025.
The approval had sparked widespread rejection among telecom subscribers.
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