Senate Committee on Industry, Trade, and Investment has summoned the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Acting Managing Director of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Terhembe Nongo, over N15 billion budgetary allocation to private company.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Rose Oko, said the duo were summoned upon presentation of report of senate committee that during the budget defence, the Minister and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry were unable to defend the purpose of the N15 billion.

She said that the permanent secretary said, during the budget defense, that the issue was between NEPZA and the company, insisting that he was not aware of it.

Oko complained that the committee also asked the ministry to make available from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, the shareholding structure but the document presented did not reveal the identity of the shareholders.

She told the Senate committee on appropriation that the committee had requested NEPZA to give full details of what happened, disclosing that NEPZA claimed the money was allocated to it in 2017 and as at then, the company was not in existence.

She told the lawmakers that the money was released in 2017 to the company when it was not yet registered in the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“The company was registered in 2018; meanwhile the money was already allocated in 2017, which is domiciled in CBN.

More so, N15billion was released two days ago to the same company.” she said.

The Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Senators Jubril Barau, said he had invited the Minister and the Permanent Secretary alongside the MD of NEPZA to appear before it on Monday to correct the anomaly.

It could be recalled that the 8th Senate had directed the Acting Managing Director of NEPZA to return N14.3bn to the purse of the Federal Government. (Daily Trust)

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