Abuja – The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara yesterday constituted 7 man Ad-hoc Committee to examine the request made by President Buhari for the approval of $75 credit facility from World Bank for Edo State.
This was a follow-up to the letter from the President, which was read on the floor of the house the previous day, when he informed the house of the World Bank approved development
Policy Program (DPP) of a total sum of 225 million dollars (about N47.25)for Edo State in 2012.
Constituting the Ad-hoc Committee, Dogara charged the members of the Committee which was headed by Hon. Babagada Ibrahim to examine the request made by the President and also make recommendations to the House within seven days.
Other members of the Ad-hoc Committee were Hon. Chidi Okafor, Hon. Boma Goodluck, Hon. Shehu Garba, while others were Hon. Tope Olarinoye amongst others.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday 3rd August 2015 wrote a letter to the House of Representatives, requesting the approval of the National Assembly to obtain a 75 million dollars credit facility from the World Bank for Edo State.
In the said letter, President Buhari had explained that the program was to be implemented in three tranches of 75 million dollars and that the first tranche was approved by the National Assembly in the 2012/2014 Federal government external borrowing plan.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Customs and Excise (when constituted) to investigate the evasion of tax by Stallion Group under the new national rice development policy.
In a motion entitled “need to Investigate the evasion of tax by stallion group” raised by Hon. Abdullahi Umar Faruk on the floor of the green chambers noted that according to a Daily Trust Newspaper report of June 2, 2015, Stallion group has been making efforts to evade payments of N17 billion import duty imposed on them by the Nigerian Customs for exceeding their 2014 rice import quota under the dual tariff system.
According to him, the inter – ministerial committee headed by the immediate past Vice President, Namadi Sambo adopted a new “national rice supply gap” of 782, 000 metric tonnes and allocated quotas to 1f6 existing millers including Mascot Agro which he said was hurriedly registered as a subsidiary of Stallion Group since it was blacklisted by the Nigerian Customs for non payment of excess duty.
“The Stallion Group evaded payment of N15 billion duty arising from its having imported 475, 000metric tonnes of rice over and above its 2014 quota of 89, 939 metric tonnes of rice through Mascot Agro which was not a recognised rice miller without any quota allocation in 2014”.
The law maker stated that while other companies such as Kereksuk Farms, Atafi Rice industries and Arewa Rice Mill paid their duties to the Nigerian Customs, the Stallion group still refused to pay it’s taxes and was determined to use additional quotas granted to Mascot Agro to further evade payment of the new custom duty.
He warned that if the matter is not thoroughly investigated in furtherance of the current government’s anti – corruption stance, a wrong precedent could be set and would encourage similar acts of that nature in other private government entities.
On his part, Hon. Leo Ogor said that there is no need for the House to take the motion because his committee has done similar work in the investigation of evasion of rice import duty adding that there are reports and recommendations that can guide the House on the way forward.
On the contrary, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara in his ruling said that is was okey for the motion to be taken emphasising that new light could be shed on the issue. The motion was unanimously agreed upon by the House after it was put to a voice vote.
