Reps Threaten To Arrest Okonjo-Iweala Over N4.5trn Contract

The probe panel set up by the House of Representatives probing the bogus contract of N4.5trn awarded to Single Window Systems and Technology (SWST) has summoned finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to appear before it today or face arrest. The panel also yesterday vetoed President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to suspend the multi-billion naira concession agreement between the Ministry of Finance and a revenue facilitation company, Single Window Systems and Technology (SWST), which would have led to Nigeria loosing N4.5trn. Following the motion adopted by the House on the matter and the probe initiated, the President had ordered the minister, Dr. Okonjo- Iweala, to immediately suspend the agreement, look into the processes that led to the award and address the important questions raised by the House. The minister, in a letter titled Re: Single window concession,” dated September 12, 2011, told the committee that “by the leave of Mr. President, I have suspended the single window project in deference to the concern of the National Assembly. “Mr. President had asked me to look into the processes that led to the award with the view to review the important issues raised by your committee. I will refer to you in due course with the outcome of this inquiry.” The Chairman of the committee, Mr. Leo Ogor, who expressed displeasure over the moves by officials of ministry to stall the probe, however, directed Okonjo-Iweala, to appear before the committee today or face arrest. Ogor said the probe must continue and that all relevant information must be presented to it not minding the internal action taken by the ministry. He said: “The National Assembly is a separate arm of government with its clear responsibility and resolution of the House. “The Minister of Finance has refused to appear before this committee as far as we are concerned. An investigation by the ministry of finance will in no way deter this House from carrying out its own constitutional responsibility. “I am, therefore, resting on the Nigerian constitution sub-section 88 and 89, to summon the honourable minister that she must appear before this committee to clear decision on the audacity and process that led to this particular award of this contract. “We lay emphasis on due process, whatever investigation they carry out in the ministry is their own internal business. It is important that she must appear before this committee tomorrow (Tuesday) 12 noon unfailingly. “In the course of this public hearing, the report will be sent to this ministry so that they can appreciate the cost implication that we bear as a committee. The procedure is continuous; we will take all the people that are coming into this hearing today. ``An investigation by the minister of finance will no way deter the House from carrying out its constitutional responsibility. “I am, therefore, directing by the clear provisions of sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution summoning the minister that she must appear before this committee to give clear position in respect of the modalities and process that led to this particular award.” The Comptroller of the Customs Service in charge of ASYCUDA, Mr. Azarema Abdulkadir, said that the service was not involved in the concession agreement. He said that the service only received a letter dated May 24, 2010 asking it to cooperate with the company. “The service was informed by the ministry of finance that a concession agreement had been entered into between the Federal Government and Single Window Systems Technology Ltd.’ He said that the service trained more than 8,000 officers to take over the implementation of the project at the expiration of the agreement in 2012. The spurious contract was unilaterally awarded by Federal Ministry of Finance on behalf of Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) to the company registered in June 2010 with N1m share capital. The controversy surrounding the award is that the ministry had in mid- June 2009 given a letter of intent to a non-existing company as consultant and later re- awarded the multibillion naira contract for the implementation of the ASYCUDA project. The company was registered by Mohammed Kaoje, 35 years old who owns 60 percent share; Ahmed Bello, the son of the former Comptroller- General of NCS and director of the company owns 25 percent share capital and an Ethiopian/ British citizen.