As the House of Representatives Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways led by Hon. Pat Asadu (PDP, Enugu) begins investigations into activities of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the registrar has been accused of violating the Fiscal Responsibility act to the tune of N2.5billion.
It would be recalled that the House had last week mandated the committee to commence investigation into serial allegations of financial impropriety against the registrar.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Hon. Prestige Ossy (APGA, Abia), who sponsored the motion, said the motion was prompted by the mind boggling allegations against the registrar. Explaining why the House mandated the committee to investigate CRFFN, Ossy said allegations against the registrar were mind boggling. According to Ossy, who is a member of the committee on Customs and Excise, “5% of the sum of N836,458,385.28 which was approved for the construction of 61 outpost offices was paid to the beneficiary companies as VAT instead of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
He said: “33 contracts were awarded under the guise of construction/provision of buildings’ at the sum of N418,113, 198.56 million without due process and to some cities that have no relevance to port or border operations, and 5 per cent of this sum was paid as VAT to the beneficiary companies” The lawmaker said he was “aware of the fact that apart from the aforementioned financial infractions, the registrar/chief execution officer of the CRFFN was also alleged to be involved in several other financial scandals, which included unilateral approval of an undisclosed sum for the purchase of two Toyota Land Cruisers and 50 Toyota Hilux vans but purchased only one Land cruiser and 10 Hilux vans, and diverted the rest of the funds.
.new telegraph
