By Gift Chapi Odekina
The House of Representatives has commended the suspension of Ecobank Plc from the list of commercial banks that collect revenue for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) sequel to the non-remittance of N4.39 billion revenue collected.
The House Committee on Customs and Excise, chaired by Hon Leke Abejide, passed the resolution during the investigative hearing held with banks’ management teams on the verification and reconciliation of revenue receipt of Customs’ duties and Excise levies from January 2009 to December 2019, who frowned at the level of impunity being perpetrated by NCS bankers.
The lawmakers who accused Ecobank of failing to remit about N4.39 billion threatened to recover the fund alongside the penalty for late remittance and the commission on the money.
In the same vein, the Committee also accused Ecobank management of failing to provide relevant data and other information relating to Oceanic Bank finances from the year 2009 to date.
Hon Abejide who presided over the session also issued 7-day ultimatum to the Managing Director of e-Tranzact to appear before them with all necessary documents.
He warned that the Committee may be provoked to take against some banks that fail to honour the Committee’s invitation after the expiration of the one-week ultimatum.
Hon Abejide further issued a one-week ultimatum to the management of Standard Chartered Bank, Fidelity Bank, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, Polaris Bank and First City Monument Bank to produce relevant documents for reconciliation, stressing that failure which will make them pay anyoutstandingly amount of money listed against them as outstanding.
