Senate has toughened its stand against Chief Executive Officers of companies involved in over N30trillion revenue scam, directing the Nigeria Police Force to arrest the Chief Executive Officers(CEOs) of Crown Flour Mills, Glo Mobile and 28 others for failing to honour its invitation on Friday.
The other companies are British American Tobacco, CCECC, Dana Group, Olam Int. Ltd, Hong Xing Steel Co. Ltd, Visafone, African Wire, Star comments and Allied Ltd, Aarti Steel Nig. Ltd.
Others are Abyem-Diva Int. Ltd, Gagasel Int., Friesland Capina, Etco Nig., Edic Chemicals and Allied Distributors, De United Foods, Don Climax Group, Skill G NIG Ltd, Premium Seafood and La Rauf Nig.Ltd.
Others include Standard Metallurgical Co. Ltd, Kam Industries, IBG Investment Ltd., Orazulike Trading Co. Ltd and Popular Foods Ltd.
Also affected are CEOs of A-Kelnal Integrated & Logistics Services, African Industries, African Tiles & Ceramics as well as ZTE Nigeria.
The Senate had invited 63 firms but only 33 honoured the invitation.
The Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, gave the directive at the committee’s investigative meeting on Friday in Abuja.
He said the refusal of the CEOs to honour the invitation despite several reminders was a disrespect for the National Assembly as an institution.
Uzodinma said the 8th Senate would not tolerate such behaviour from anybody particularly in the present situation that involves Federal Government funds.
According to him, investigations carried out by the joint committee showed several forms of infractions that have cost the country huge amount of money.
He said the development in the country currently in recession was a disservice to the nation.
”It is no longer going to be business as usual.
”We have directed the Nigeria Police Force to arrest the heads of the firms and bring them before us.
”If we can suspend our recess as lawmakers to see to the end of this investigation, I see no reason why the firms that have been indicted would not come to defend themselves,” he said.
The chairman asked the firms that honoured the invitation to go through the documents given to them and report back next week to defend themselves.
The Senate had mandated the joint committee to carry out an extensive investigation into alleged N30 trillion revenue leakage in the the import and export value chain between 2006 and 2017.
The committee has so far interfaced with the commercial banks indicted in the matter as well as relevant government agencies and is currently meeting with companies.
