ABUJA- Lawmaker representing Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Reprehensive, Pally Iriase, has urged the All Progressive Congress (APC) to give a nod to the South-South to produce Speaker for the Assembly in-line with the principles of fairness, equity and Justice.
The two -term member made the appeal in Abuja while making public his intension to contest for the position in the  House of Representatives.
Pally Iriase who featured on the House of Representatives press corps’ “hot seat” said his aspiration  for the number one seat is driven by the desire to provide a complementary leadership to the president elect, as a leader with zero tolerant to corruption in public life.
Pally supported his right to speakership by citing Section 14(13) of the 1999 constitution that states that Federal Charater must reflect in the composition of Government of the Federation.
He noted the president elect is from North-west and his Vice from South-West stressing that based on federal character provision, neither of these zones should get priority on the queue for National Assembly presiding officers
Pally Iriase  emphasized that as things presently stand, the right thing to do is to have a South-South speaker, thereby ensuring that there is no predominance of persons from a few states, ethnic or sectional group in the incoming government.
Pally Iriase, the deputy chairman of House Committee on Constituency Outreach Committee further said as a good manager of people with a long track of experience, he is the best candidate from the south-south to fit the position.
Meanwhile the House of Representatives has  threatened to sanction the minister for Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, over his failure to appear before an Ad-hoc Committee looking into the alleged Fraud and evasion of rice import duties and levis by importer and investors.
The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, gave the warning after the Ministry was accused by participants with regards to the administration of government policy on rice importation and payable duties and levies on import quota by investors.
Leo Ogor in his opening address, said that the hearing was organised following a resolution of the House mandating the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate alleged fraud accusation and evasion of import duties by rice importers.
He stressed that the aim of the hearing was to uncover fraud and expose the endemic corruption in the importation of rice with a view to stemming the tide, boosting employment generation as well as strengthen the nation’s depleting foreign reserve.
The chairman said in view of the administration of quota and duty payable on excess importation, there were indications indicting the minister of giving certain considerations to some importers, who allegedly exceeded their quotas and did not pay liable indemnity
In his presentation, the minister who appeared before the committee yesterday told members of the committee that he was the first person that raise alarm on the importation in January and  so he did not know when the hunter became the hunted.
According to him, “I was the one that raise the matter, that  no company is bigger that the country, and it is infraction because you cannot import beyond the allocation given the company. All the companies that own Nigeria must pay what they own and there is no exception”
“ Rice production in the country is going down, therefore there is  the need to encourage our domestic production, I do not do anything under the table and we have to give opportunity to those who have their industry or farm in the country”. He said.
?”I have been completely above board. A lot of importers went ahead to import above the number of allocation given to them. When we noticed we queried that and they promised to pay the excess. Anybody that have imported above allocation should. Pay over 60 percent. That is what we did”. He added.
According to the Act, the minister maintained that companies must pay before you leave the port. It is the interest of our farmers and the investors that we are trying to protect. “I promised to give 50 percent of  mill capacity to enable them to be in the market”.
?Michael Andoka SAN former attorney General and minister of Justice and the secretary of the Nigeria Association of Rice Millers and raised alarm over the action of some companies trying to kill local ricer millers in the country.
The former minister called on the federal government to stop this action before they finally send the local farmers out of business.
Some of these companies, he said went beyond the allocation given to them on the importation rice therefore flooding the market and reduce the rice price which local producers cannot sell.
In his closing remark, the chairman of the committee, Hon Leo Ogor vowed that the committee would not allow any erring company go freely.
According to him, “We would not allow anybody found guilty go unpunished. Our treasury is coming down due to some unacceptable practices. Every company that is owing have to pay up especially if you want to be in business”.
The chairman assured the minister that the committee would work with the 2014 guideline.
The committee warned Nigeria Customs Services to desist from illegal activities, saying that Attorney general cannot give instruction on tax waiver as the service earlier claimed, that it was not acceptable.