The Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has commenced probe into the circumstances leading to the improper audit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) accounts for years.

This follows the outcome of a public hearing held by the committee on Monday after a query by the nation’s Auditor-General office regarding the finances of the customs service.

The Committee on Public Accounts is investigating series of audit queries raised against the Service between 2013 and 2014 financial years, including an alleged missing N14.8bn from the Service in 2013.

Speaking during the public hearing, the Comptroller-General (CG) of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), disclosed that the organisation’s account had not been audited by external auditors for years as there was no approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to engage their services.

The CG, who was represented by an officer in the Service’s finance department, S. I. Ibrahim, said: “I want to tell this honourable Committee that as we speak, the Service has no audited accounts because we have no approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, to engage external auditors.

According to him, prior to the introduction of the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA), 28 commercial banks were collecting revenues on behalf of the Service. (Daily Trust)