The House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has threatened 12 shipping firms with arrests over $300m allegedly unremitted to the government since 2004.
The lawmakers also vowed to hand over the defaulting companies to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if they failed to remit their indebtedness to NIMASA before 20 November, 2018.
The Chairman of the committee, Umar Bago (APC, Niger), said this in Abuja yesterday.
He wondered why the affected indigenous firms would collect the revenues from foreign shipping lines on behalf of Nigeria but refuse to remit.
“We have been told that some of the defaulters want to close their companies, open new ones and continue the same business. We are cooperating with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and EFCC, and we can issue bench warrants against them unless they remit before 20 November, 2018,” Chairman Bargo said.
According to the committee, the defaulting companies include GAC Shipping Ltd., Daddo Maritime Services, Blue Sea Marine, Divine Marine, Transocean Services, and Inchcape Shipping.
Others are Mearsk Nigeria Ltd., Hull Blythe, CGM-Delmas Nigeria Ltd., Joe-Eboje, Peak Shipping, and Al Raine Nigeria Ltd.
Responding, the Finance Manager of GAC Shipping Ltd., Mr. Rafiu Adesola, said his company’s indebtedness to NIMASA is only $3m, contrary to the agency’s claim of $172m.
Although Mr. Churchil Chukwuemeka of Inchcape Shipping owned up to the $6.4m owed by his company, he said after reconciliation with NIMASA, their current indebtedness stand at $1.4m.
The Committee resumes hearing on November 20, 2018.
