The Nigeria Senate has ordered the arrest of the chief executive officers of mobile giant Globacom, Crown Flour Mills, British American Tobacco, CCECC, Dana Group and 25 other companies for allegedly failing to appear before it.
The chairman of the Senate Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, Hope Uzodinma, who has been handling the investigation into a N30 trillion lost revenue by the country in the maritime sector, announced the order to arrest on Friday. The other companies include Olam Int. Ltd., Hong Xing Steel Co. Ltd., Visafone, African Wire, Star Comments and Allied Ltd. and Aarti Steel Nig. Ltd, Abyem-Diva Int. Ltd., Gagasel Int., Friesland Campina, Etco Nig., Edic Chemicals and Allied Distributors, De United Foods makers of popular Indomie noodles, Don Climax Group, Skill G Nig. Ltd., Premium Seafood and La Rauf Nig. Ltd.
Also involved are Standard Metallurgical Co. Ltd., Kam Industries, IBG Investment Ltd., Orazulike Trading Co. Ltd., Popular Foods Ltd., A-Kelnal Integrated & Logistics Services, African Industries, African Tiles & Ceramics and ZTE Nigeria.
Mr. Uzodinma said “It is no longer going to be business as usual. We have directed the Nigeria Police 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 will not come to defend themselves.”
Photo Credit: Getty
