Mohammed Shosanya
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has issued a 48 hours ultimatum to the management of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to provide answers into over $1.8 billion unaccounted for, in the purse of the Ports Authority.
The Committee also threatened to “use all instruments available by law to bring the management of NPA to order if it violates the ultimatum.
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Chairman of the Committee, Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, on Tuesday in Abuja, revealed that the NPA management has been unable to clarify on the whereabouts of $ 852, 930, 730, $ 1, 878, 509, .57 belonging to the agency.
Berating the Managing Director of the agency over alleged refusal to appear before the panel of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Aliyu bemoaned that a representative who was sent by the NPA to the panel was absent when it was time for the interface.
He said: “Nobody is above the law, or would bf allowed to take the institution of the National Assembly for granted. We are the people’s parliament. We are here on the mandate of the people, and we will not take disrespect from anybody.”
The Committee of the Red Chamber further revealed that the management of the NPA would not furnish details on $ 68 million covering “outstanding estate rents, shipping bills, service boats, among others.
Status of long standing debts and debtors form part of the issues they have to answer to.
Others are Lagos Channel management, Bonny Channel management, Calabar Channel management.”
The panel also interfaced with the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
