Senate threatens to arrest Shippers Council boss

The Senate may have no option than to issue a warrant of arrest on the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Shippers Council, Hassan Bello if he fails to honour the invitation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions next Tuesday.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ekiti Central) gave the hint while addressing the media in his office on Monday.

According to him, the executive secretary has been evading summons by the committee on a petition by former staff of the council who claimed to have been unjustly sacked and not compensated.

Sen. Akinyelure said the Senate gave his committee two weeks to report back on the petition, but that the council is holding the committee to ransom.

He said that “this is the fourth week now and the executive secretary has refused to honour our invitations. If he fails to appear before the committee next Tuesday, a warrant will be issued demanding his arrest.”

Also, the committee yesterday mediated in the industrial dispute between an indigenous beverages manufacturing company, Rites Food, makers of ‘Bigi’ products and 7Up Bottling Company.

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The two companies have locked horns in a supremacy battle over market competition to which the Senate sought an amicable resolution.

Sen. Akinyelure said the Senate decided to find a middle ground so that the two players in the Nigerian market do not go down, stating that the committee after a closed door meeting with the management team of the two firms give them two weeks to resolve their differences.

The Senate committee chairman said Nigeria cannot lose any of the two companies that have contributed immensely to the nation’s economy.

He said that “the indigenous company, Rites Food employs more than 3,000 Nigerians while 7Up employs about 5, 000.”

The committee urged the two to understudy one another and come up with strategies to improve their products in a friendly competitive environment.