Reps panel threatens arrest warrant against Bello-Osagie, Airtel boss

A House of Representatives ad hoc panel yesterday threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the chairman of the defunct Etisalat Nigeria, Akeem BelloOsagie and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airtel Nigeria for failure to appear before it.

The adhoc panel, which is investigating the operational activities of telecoms operators, said it has invited Bello-Osagie and the Airtel CEO on several occasions to answer questions on alleged tax evasion by the defunct Etisalat and Airtel but that they refused to honour the invitations.

The committee chairman, Rep Ahmed Abu (APC, Niger), said during a public hearing yesterday in Abuja that the attitude of the duo was unacceptable and that if they fail to appear on a yet-tobe announced date, an arrest warrant would be issued against them.

Abu, who also berated the officials of 9Mobile for the absence of their CEO, said the panel would invoke relevant constitutional provisions in dealing with the organizations involved.

Our correspondent reports that the hearing could not continue as the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, whose agency is at the centre of the issue, was said to be attending a meeting at the presidential villa.

Meanwhile, another ad-hoc panel of the House, which is probing the various intervention funds by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has summoned the Managing Director of the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru.

The chairman of the panel, Rep Bassey Ewa, said at a session with AMCON officials yesterday that the absence of their CEO was unacceptable to the House.