Senate indicts NNPC for unrecorded N102bn crude oil sales

The Senate has adopted a report of its committee on Public Accounts which specifically focuses  on Auditor – General reports of 2016 and indicted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company for N102 billion crude oil irregularities.

In the report, queries raised against 37 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the office of Auditor-General of the federation were sustained, while those against 43 others were vacated.

Among the indicted MDAs, is the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over alleged failure to provide details of crude Oil delivered to Warri, Kaduna Refineries worth about $376.6 million (N102.6 billion) in the audited year.

The query reads, “From the review and examination of domestic Crude Oil Lifting sales profile presented for audit verification, it was noted that several deliveries were stated to be jointly lifted by or delivered to Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Kaduna refinery and Petrochemical Company without necessary details or breakdown of what was delivered to respective companies.

“From the examination carried out a total oil lifting of 8,399,017; bbls with a total sales value of $376.6 (N102.6 billion) was stated to have been lifted jointly by these two companies.

“The failure to properly separate these deliveries and charge directly to each company makes it difficult to reconcile and account for each lifting, ” the report said.

The Senate upheld the recommendation of its committee asking Mele Kyari, the group managing director of NNPC, to ensure specific details of crude delivered to the two refineries for audit.

Also among the indicted government agencies is the Ministry of Information and Culture over three unrecovered vehicles.

The query as adopted by the Senate reads: ” Audit Investigation revealed that a Toyota Land Cruiser and two Toyota Hilux pick-up Vans observed to be missing, were in the custody of a former minister of the Ministry and a female staff in Sure-P office.

” In his response to the query, the permanent secretary explained that the Toyota Land Cruiser was an official vehicle of Edem Duke, the minister and he took it away when he was leaving the office.

” The Ministry, the permanent secretary added, has written series of letters to the former Minister to return the vehicles but to no avail”

Some of the 35 other indicted agencies are; Office of the Accountant General of the Federation National Population Commission, the National Agency for the Control of Aids ( NACA), the FCT Area Council Service Commission, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) among others.

The red chamber accordingly resolved to submit the report of the indictment to the Office of Secretary to the Government of Federation for further action.

It also resolved to come up with a bill that will enforce the implementation of the outcome of the Auditor General report submitted to the National Assembly for consideration.