The Residence of Representatives yesterday waded into the ongoing controversy between the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and Intels Nigeria Restricted.
The Household, whilst adopting a movement by Rep Diri Douye (PDP, Bayelsa), solved to constitute an ad hoc panel to probe the circumstances that led to NPA’s final decision to terminate an existing deal amongst it and Intels.
The committee is to ascertain if thanks approach was followed in the termination of the arrangement and other linked issues. It has two months to submit its report.
The Home reported NPA ought to reverse the termination of the deal with Intels, pending the final result of the investigation.
The movement brought about significant division among the lawmakers, with a range of them opposing it. But it scaled as a result of in the conclusion.
Douye reported the settlement integrated the building and procedure of Apapa, Warri, Federal Ocean Terminal Port and Onne in Port Harcourt, which he mentioned Intels invested $900 million on.
On the other hand, he claimed, NPA terminated the deal in a letter to the Legal professional Common of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), on September 27, expressing the action was dependent on an alleged illegality of the agreement.
The action, the lawmaker said, has adverse penalties on the Nigerians functioning at Intels and their dependents.
In supporting the motion, Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), reported the Home should intervene in the issue as Intels team have been previously protesting at the ports.
Equally, other lawmakers such as Hassan Saleh (APC, Benue), Simon Arabo (PDP, Kaduna) supported the motion.
But opposing the movement, Rep Rotimi Agunsoye (APC, Lagos) stated the Dwelling really should leave the make any difference for the judiciary to decide, calling on Intels to go to courtroom.
Also, Rep Ahmad Babba Kaita (APC, Katsina) mentioned there appeared to be monopoly on the component of Intels as all other aggressive organizations folded up just after the arrangement was signed.
“Intels as we see now is not even owned by Nigerians. The possession structure of the firm is purely foreign, but they use Nigerians as fronts and killed a lot of indigenous providers running in the exact sector,” he stated.
Rep Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC, Kano), mentioned Intels’ refusal to fork out the collected earnings to the govt coffers by way of the Treasury One Account (TSA) went opposite to Section 81 of the structure which supplies that “all revenues or other monies manufactured on behalf of federal government shall be paid to an account recognized as the Consolidated Income Account of the Federation.”
But Speaker Yakubu Dogara responded by declaring there is nowhere in the earth that monopoly is an offence, declaring “some companies are better carried out in a monopolistic environment.”
[Daily Trust]
