THE Senate, yesterday, gave those it
described as “port cabal” that swindled Nigeria of over N30 trillion in recent
times, four days to come clean or face prosecution. According to the Senate,
the said money, which cannot be accounted for, is more than four times the
country’s current national budget, adding that it was prepared to prosecute all
those involved in the scam.
Disclosing this, yesterday, in Abuja
during the Public Hearing of the Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff,
Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo West) said preliminary findings by the
committee into activities of Customs, financial leakages and malpractices in
the nation’s ports and revenue system had shown evidence of how “a group of
unpatriotic persons brazenly constitute themselves into a cabal to inflict
infractions at the nation’s sea ports.
According to him, the infractions
have become daily occurrence at the nation’s sea ports, just as he accused
commercial banks, shipping companies, terminal owners and operators of
conniving with officials of Customs and Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to
defraud the country in trillions of naira.
The infractions come in various
forms, beginning with abuse and violation of foreign exchange issued by Central
Bank of Nigeria, CBN, incorrect classification and under valuation of vessels
coming into the country. The Senate asked the management of NPA to account for
282 missing vessels and urged the NPA and Customs to explain why they did not
collect charges on the vessels and who authorised the release of the vessels
from the ports. Senator Uzodinma said:
“The Senate has mandated us to carry
out a holistic investigation into the scandalous financial leakages that have
become the norm in our ports. Quite worrisome is the fact that these leakages
are costing our dear country trillions of naira in revenue and inversely
constitute a clear and present security threat to our nation. “It is common
knowledge that infractions abound in daily transactions at the nation’s sea
ports. Commercial banks, shipping companies, terminal owners and operators
connive at ease with officials to defraud our dear nation in trillions of
naira.”
“Preliminary evidence before us
suggests that this is the case in all sea ports. lndeed, initial evidence at
our disposal clearly suggests that the port cabal has in recent memory,
defrauded the nation of well over N30 trillion. “It is distressing to note that
while our nation is undergoing an exhausting recession, a group of unpatriotic
persons, who brazenly constitute themselves into a cabal, is determined to
deepen the pains of the nation through very repugnant practices.”
“The Senate, determined to put an end to this
villainous assault on the economy of our nation, has now taken the bull by the
horn, and set out to get to the bottom of this organised crime, and come up
with future proof ways at eradicating this gruesome menace. “In doing so, we
shall be minded by the reality that those who want to bleed the nation to death
without remorse must be dealt with without reprieve. Consequently, all those
indicted in this crime will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Meanwhile, the Senate has given the
CBN up to Monday to verify claims of remittances by commercial banks, just as
it was, however, disappointed at how Customs has over the years managed the
Free Trade Zone, accusing it of allowing the free trade zone to be used for
smuggling goods into the country. Declaring the event open, Senate President,
Dr Bukola Saraki, who was represented by Deputy Senate Minority Leader,
Emmanuel Bwacha, who asked the committee to do a thorough job, said the Senate
intended to use this oversight function to expose corruption and ensure that
all the loopholes and leakages in the revenue systems were fully and
comprehensively sealed. Saraki said,
“The Senate of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria at its sitting on Thursday, 4th May, 2017, mandated the Joint
Committee on Customs, Excise & Tariff; and Marine Transport to carry out a
holistic investigation into the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service with
a View to identifying the financial leakages, malpractices and infractions
within the import and export value chain as well as the causes of the declining
revenue profile of the Service and come up with recommendations that will
reinvigorate the revenue profile of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“A recent report has suggested that
trillions of Naira in revenue are lost annually within the import and export
value chain as a result of financial leakages caused through various
malpractices and infractions within the system. “These anomalies are
perpetrated by various stakeholders such as importers and exporters, authorized
dealers, shipping companies, terminal operators, cargo handlers and their
collaborators/conspirators such as Custom officials, ports authority officials
and other agency officials.
“This Senate intends to use its
oversight functions to expose corruption and ensure that all loopholes and
leakages in our revenue systems are fully and comprehensively sealed. The 8th
National Assembly will not sit idly by and watch things continue to go wrong no
matter whose ox is gored. Especially not in the era of economic downturn
resulting from declining oil revenue.
“We are determined to reverse these
financial leakages to enable us get the much-needed resources to fund our
children’s education, health care and fix the potholes on our roads through the
budget. “Therefore, I urge this hearing not to leave any stone unturned to
ensure that We incrementally eliminate waste and corruption in the management
of our national resources.
“Of a truth, this assignment is
enormous but we are confident that the committee is composed of eminent
personalities who will ensure we put an end to this bleeding of the nation. The
Committee is to do a thorough legislative investigation to expose the
widespread abuses inherent in import and export businesses; which had greatly
undermined and stunted the national economy.”
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