By Haruna Salami
The Senate Committee on Customs, Excise, and Tariff has summoned the Chairman of Yokohama Motors to appear before the Committee unfailingly on Thursday or risks a warrant of arrest to compel his appearance.
This was the resolution of the Committee Tuesday made known by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Francis Ali Mikhena after the Committee meeting.
According to Mikhena Yokohama Motors is owing Federal Government customs duties worth millions of naira, but when the committee invited Yokohama Motors to throw light on those millions of naira they have not paid, Yokohama “went to Kanu Agabi Chamber to obtain a letter saying that the Committee cannot invite him to our meeting” adding “we are not over sighting Yokohama. We are saying he should throw more light on the Custom duty that he evaded”.
“Instead of him to pay the money, he is running to various legal practitioners to obtain the letter. We have invited Chairman of Yokohama Motors to appear before us on Thursday unfailingly otherwise we will issue a warrant of arrest”, Mikhena said.
The amount of money involved is about N575 million that he is owing to the Federal Government.
However, a lawyer in the chamber of Kanu Agabi and Associates, Barrister Kanu Oko, said they were in the National Assembly because their client was invited by the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff on the allegation that they have defrauded the Federal Government
Barrister Kanu said the section of the constitution that gives the Senate their powers only gives them the power when it relates to issues of making laws for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with emphasis laid on section 88 (2) of the constitution.
“I believe if the Chairman of the Committee takes a look at the section just mentioned, they will understand the limits of their power. They feel and have made us understand that the Senate has unfettered powers and that their powers are limitless; they said that to us. But I believe that a court of competent jurisdiction will see to it in good time.
Kanu said they are seeking legal option because they cannot take the law into their hands. ‘If we have issue with the Senate Committee, the only place we can run to isthevourt”, Kanu said.
