The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property, yesterday, threatened to slam Unity Bank for economic sabotage offences, if it fails to return about N7 billion it is owing the Federal Government.
A statement by SPIPRPP’s Head, Media & Communication¸ Lucie-Ann Laha, said the N7 billion “represents the sum of $15,561,769.99 and N1,488,455,810.90, being excess and arbitrary charges on accounts of some agencies of government by the bank before the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA).”
The panel said the agencies from whose account the “excess and arbitrary charges” had been deducted by the bank included the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Kaduna Refinery and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
It further added that the bank had agreed on the amount earlier in February this year, but “has neither proffered a payment plan nor demonstrated good faith by actually initiating payments. Instead, the bank has severed all communications with the panel in this regard,” the statement said.