Compel Mediterranean Shipping Company MD to appear before us – Reps Committee to IGP

Angered by failure of the Managing Director and the Deputy Managing Director of the Mediterranean Shipping Company Limited, Andrew Lynch and Jake Josso to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has been involved to ensure compliance.

The House Committee on Public Petitions during it’s sitting on Wednesday, 2nd July, to hear the petition by the Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition against Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), gave the order, following persistent refusal of the shipping giant to answer it’s summons.

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The sitting was presided over by Hon. Martins Nwogu, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions in the absence of the committee chairman.

Mediterranean Shipping not only failed to honour the summons for the second time, but also failed to file a response to the petition. The committee having established that MSC was duly served the summons through a letter to their office and also through a publication in a national daily,

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Hon. Uzoma Abonta, lawyer to the Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition, in his presentation to the committee, noted that MSC has shown that it operates in flagrant disregard to Nigerian laws and institutions and urged the committee to compel MSC to appear before the parliament, failing which their license to operate in Nigeria should be suspended.

He also urged the committee to extend the summons to NPA, FIRS, FCCPC, Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Customs Services and other regulatory agencies in the maritime sector.

Hon. Martin Nwaogu, cited Section 88 and section 89 of the constitution, which grants powers of investigation to the national Assembly to conduct investigations on any matter within Nigerian borders and procure evidence or invite any person to appear before it.

The House Committee on Public Petitions further invoked Section 89 (C/ and (D) to compel the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director of MSC to appear before the House. The committee also ordered the Inspector General of Police to Compel them to appear before the committee at the next date for the hearing is fixed for July 31st.

The company’s top management has snubbed invitation following “a petition against them alleging delay in delivery of shipments, arbitrary, inconsistent and opaque charges, illegal detention of shipment, extortion, unfair practices and tax evasion.”

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