The House of Representatives Committee on Commerce has urged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to resolve their dispute over unpaid 10% freight levies due to NEPC since 1979.
Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Munir pleaded for understanding between both parties, as they stuck to their positions, citing different interpretations of relevant acts.
NEPC’s Executive Director, Nnoye Ayeni, maintained that the national assembly’s act compels NIMASA to fund the council noting that the refusal of NIMASA to remit the 10% levy has greatly hindered the operations of NEPC, while NIMASA’s representative, Chude Offodile, argued that the act establishing NIMASA does not explicitly require the agency to remit funds to NEPC.
Earlier in his remarks the speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Tajudeen Abbas represented by the house leader, Hon Julius Ihonvbere directed the agencies to find common ground to resolve the impasse, emphasizing the need for synergy among government agencies to achieve economic prosperity.
