NAFDAC, NDLEA must remain at ports.
The House of Representatives insisted that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency must remain at the nation’s ports and border posts.
The Federal Government, in its bid to decongest the ports, had listed the three agencies among organisations it sacked from ports and border posts last year.
Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had directed the withdrawal of the agencies on October 10.
But, the House, in a resolution on October 18, 2011, opposed the decision, saying it would expose the country to further economic, social and security risks.
It later mandated the Joint Committee on Health, Commerce, Industries, Drugs/Narcotics/Financial Crimes to investigate the government’s action.
The committee, which was chaired by Ndudi Elumelu, had produced a report on December 20.
The report, which was considered, recommended that the three agencies should remain at the ports and border posts.
The committee noted that the agencies played critical roles at the ports, saying rather than withdraw them, government should introduce other measures to decongest the ports.
“The Federal Government should engage stakeholders in the ports and transport sector to agree on the time frame for easy clearance of goods and containers at the ports,” the report said.
It noted that in the course of investigation, the committee discovered that Okonjo-Iweala did not seek a presidential approval for her action, a development the report said had ridiculed Nigeria.
The House of Representatives insisted that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency must remain at the nation’s ports and border posts.
The Federal Government, in its bid to decongest the ports, had listed the three agencies among organisations it sacked from ports and border posts last year.
Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had directed the withdrawal of the agencies on October 10.
But, the House, in a resolution on October 18, 2011, opposed the decision, saying it would expose the country to further economic, social and security risks.
It later mandated the Joint Committee on Health, Commerce, Industries, Drugs/Narcotics/Financial Crimes to investigate the government’s action.
The committee, which was chaired by Ndudi Elumelu, had produced a report on December 20.
The report, which was considered, recommended that the three agencies should remain at the ports and border posts.
The committee noted that the agencies played critical roles at the ports, saying rather than withdraw them, government should introduce other measures to decongest the ports.
“The Federal Government should engage stakeholders in the ports and transport sector to agree on the time frame for easy clearance of goods and containers at the ports,” the report said.
It noted that in the course of investigation, the committee discovered that Okonjo-Iweala did not seek a presidential approval for her action, a development the report said had ridiculed Nigeria.
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