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Non remission of 6 Years Audited Accounts: Reps C’ttee Summon NNPC GMD Kyari, 18 others

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Nigeria is not refining crude locally – NNPC GMD

 

***Commences Probe Thursday

John Akubo

The House of Representatives panel on Public Accounts has summoned the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited Mele Kyari, and accounting officers of 18 subsidiaries of NNPC over allegations bothering on the nonrendition of audited accounts between 2014 and 2019.

According to the audit queries issued by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation, over N663.89 billion was not remitted by NNPC into the Federation Account in 2019.

The report further showed that while the NNPC Upstream arm of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) claimed to transfer the sum of N1.27 trillion into the Federation Account, the audit report revealed that NNPC remitted the sum of N608.71 billion.

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The oAuGF report observed that the sum of N519,922,433,918.46 was transferred to the Federation Account by the NNPC based on transfer mandates.
To this end, oAuGF requested the “reconciliation statement for the difference of N88,787,862,853.96 between AGF’s figure of N608,710,296,772.42 and NNPC’s figure per transfer mandate of N519,922,433,918.46.”

The Audit report further observed that 107,239,436.00 barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude, while the allocation of crude oil to refineries for a billing date of 9th January to 29th May 2019 was 2,764,267.00 bbls valued at N55,891,009,960.63.”

It stated further that “Information on Sale of unutilized crude oil by Refineries for 2019 was not provided, and Information on crude oil allocations from 30th May to 31st December 2019 was not provided for scrutiny.

While alleging possible diversion of domestic crude, diversion of sale of unutilized crude as well as possible loss of Federation Account revenue, the report said the management of the NNPC failed to respond to the audit query.

Auditor General also alleged that NNPC spent US$6.410 million, (=N1.955 trillion at N305/US$1) to fund Joint Venture Cash Calls (JVCC) and other federally funded upstream projects such as Gas Infrastructure Development, Brass LNG, Crude Oil Pre-Export Inspection Agency Expenses, Frontier Exploration Services, EGTL Operating Expenses, and NESS Fee and another N55.157 billion on Pipeline Security and Maintenance without first paying the money into the Federation Account.

The invitation to the NNPC Group Managing Director was signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Oluwole Oke via a letter titled: ‘Re-Consideration of Auditor General of the Federation annual report for 2019 financial year,” with Reference No: HR/PAC/SCO5/9NASS/QUE.40/43 was dated 1st April 2022.

“I refer to your appearance before this Committee on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, on the above subject matter and the Committee’s resolution to request that you come along to the next session with the Chief Accounting Officers of all NNPC Subsidiaries.

“A new date has been fixed for your appearance. You are to cause an appearance before the Committee on Thursday 7th April 2022 at 11:00 am in Meeting Room 446, House of Representatives New Building.

“This is to inform you that the Committee does not allow representation, you are to appear in person to defend your accounts laid before the Parliament.

“You are to come along with Officers who are familiar with the issues at stake and may assist you to provide answers to any question that could arise during the Session,” the letter read in part.

Some of the NNPC subsidiaries are; Nigeria Petroleum Development Corporation Limited; Kaduna Refinery & Petrochemical Company; Pipeline & Products Marketing Company Limited; Duke Oil Company Inc.; West Africa Gas Limited; Nidas Marine Limited Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG); Hayson (Nigeria) Limited and Nigeria Gas Company.

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N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.

In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.

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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.

The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.

“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.

He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.

“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.

Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.

“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said

He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.

“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”

Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.

He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.

“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.

“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.

He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.

 

 

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ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.

In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”

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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.

Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.

The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.

With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.

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Edo State Governor Sets Up Committee To Recover Missing Gov’t Vehicles

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Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.

The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.

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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.

He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.

In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.

“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.

“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”

The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.

“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”

He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.

“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.

The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.

 

 

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