The Senate has vowed to continue its ongoing investigation
into alleged N30 trillion revenue scam in the import and export chain.
Its Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine
Transport, chaired by Sen. Hope Uzodinma, made this known while briefing
newsmen shortly after its investigative meeting with some of the
companies.
He said the interest of the Senate in the investigation was
to assist the executive in recovering monies trapped in the import and
export chain.
”There are allegations that the investigation is borne out of personal interest.
”Once a Senate in a committee of the whole passes a
resolution such as this, it cannot be termed as the decision of a single
senator.
”You may not like my face as a person but it is important to look at the credibility of the work we are doing.
”This is so that together we will succeed in making sure
that the import and export circle is sanitised, trade is facilitated
and non-oil revenue is recovered and strengthened.
”In that manner, government will not rely so much on oil and with that whether crude oil is sold or not,” he said.
The lawmaker further said that while some detractors had
alleged that the investigation was a sham, some of the indicted
companies had started refunding monies running into billions of Naira to
the Federal Government
”As a result of this investigation the banks which are the
authorised dealers in the export and import chain have been making
effort to remit everything collected by them to the Central Bank.
”We are doing this on a friendly note because we do not want to send a wrong signal to the market.
”Although more funds other than the N120bn I announced some
time ago have been recovered we do not want to send the wrong signal,
so we are limited to speak further on how much has been recovered so
far.
”However, we will definitely come up with the figures recovered at the end of the investigation, ” he said.
Uzodinma explained that the committee was saving the
figures till the end of the investigation because some of the companies
were quoted on the Capital Market adding that revealing the figures
would send panic to the market.
He also explained that the committee resorted to
interfacing with individual companies rather than meeting with them in
group to enable them open up to the committee.
Uzodinma added that the strategy had yielded positive result, particularly in recovering trapped funds.
He said” the companies are now free to admit and some of them have promised to make payments.
”Today alone three companies came with receipts of payment.
”If we did not embark on this investigation we would not make these recoveries.
”Through this investigation we have helped the federal
government to recover some money and we are sure that government will
recover more money because we have detailed information that will aid
more recovery.
”The companies are no longer contesting most of the documents of infractions we confronted them with.”
The chairman called for the support of relevant stakeholders including the media in the ongoing investigation.
He added that the country would not be able to make the
necessary progress if Nigerians were not committed in ensurimg that
national interest was continually protected.
He said though Nigeria was populated enough be known as the
giant of Africa, there was a need for commensurate commitment by
citizens.
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