The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Structure & Accountability of the Joint Venture Businesses and Production Sharing Contracts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation from 1990 to Date has summoned Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Muhammad Nami, to appear before it within seven days.

Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata, issued the summons at the continued investigative hearing of the panel in Abuja on Tuesday.

Members of the committee had resolved that Nami must appear before them in person over the allegation that the FIRS was conniving with oil companies to evade tax running to trillions of naira.

The committee directed the Clerk to the House, Yahaya Danzaria, to write the FIRS chairman to appear on Wednesday next week unfailingly, threatening to issue a warrant of arrest on him, which the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, would be made to enforce.

Other oil firms expected to appear before the committee on Wednesday include Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Famfa Oil Limited, Pan Ocean, New Cross Exploration, New Cross Petroleum, GEC Petroleum Development Company, Enageed Resources Ltd, Ten-Oil Petroleum Energy Ltd, Sahara Energy Resources Ltd, and Millennium Oil and Gas Ltd.

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and First E & P apologised to the lawmakers for their inability to appear before the committee on Tuesday. The firms promised to appear before the panel next week.

The two companies had last week appeared before the committee but promised to appear on Tuesday to avail the lawmakers with documents they demanded.(The PUNCH)