The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the performance and benefits accruing to the Federal Government from concessionaires operating air and sea port terminals and related shipping activities from 2006 to 2025 has given relevant agencies and concessionaires a seven-day ultimatum to submit all requested documents.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Kolawole Akinlayo, issued the directive at a public hearing in Abuja and the affected agencies include the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Also present at the hear- ing were major concession- aires and operators such as Dangote Group, Julius Berg- er, Joseph Dam, West Africa Container Terminal, Tincan (Tinker) Terminal, ECM Terminal, Ibeto Terminal, Apm Terminals, Intervention facilities operators and other industry players.
The committee had initially proposed a 72-hour deadline for submission of the documents but following appeals during the interactive session, resolved to grant agencies and concessionaires from Monday to Friday next week to comply with the directive.
Akinlayo stressed that the extension was granted in good faith and must be treated with urgency. He explained that the committee already possesses extensive records and data from relevant government agencies covering the period under review, but requires corresponding submissions from concessionaires and stakeholders for verification and comparison. “We have data from 2006 to 2025.
What we need now is your own submission to compare with what has already been submitted to us by the agencies. We cannot rely on one-sided information. You must also present your records,” he stated.
The chairman warned that failure to submit the requested documents by the close of work on Friday next week would attract consequences, including possible referral to relevant investigative and prosecutorial bodies.
He also directed that the heads and chief executive officers of the affected agencies and organisations must appear before the panel at the expiration of the ulti- matum to account for their records and address any discrepancies. “Any organisation that fails to comply within the stipulated period will leave us with no option.
Once we adopt the information before us and you have not made your submission, we may refer the matter to the appropriate authorities for further action,” he cautioned.
