Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Accountant General’s Office,Defence ,Justice Ministries lead Others in Indicted MDAs By Auditor General

…….. _As Senate Adopts 2016 Audit Report, Sustains Queries On 37 MDAs_

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and two critical Ministries, Defence and Justice lead the pack of 37 MDAs queried for financial recklessness by the Auditor General of Nigeria

Other indicted agencies are the National Population Commission, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA; FCT Area Council Service Commission, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, among others

At the Senate yesterday where the annual report of the Auditor General for the Federation, AuGF on the accounts of the Federation for the year ended December 31, 2016 was considered, the red chamber sustained indictments of 37 ministries departments and agencies, MDAs for alleged violation of financial procedures.

Critical among the indicted MDAs, is the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL over alleged failure to provide details of crude oil delivered to Warri and Kaduna Refineries worth about $376, 655,589 (N102.6 billion) in the audited year.

The NNPCL, according to the Red Chamber could not provide details or breakdown of what was delivered to the the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC and Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, respectively.

Presenting the report during the plenary, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Mathew Urhoghide said the
queries raised against 37 ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs by the Office of Auditor General for the Federation, OAuGF over violation of financial procedures, were sustained while those against 43 others were vacated.

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; billion barrels of petroleum liquids, bbls with a total sales values of $376, 655,589 (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 Senate, therefore, upheld the recommendation of its Committee asking the Group Managing Director of NNPCL, Mele Kyari 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 Toyota Land Cruiser and two Toyota Hilux pick-up vans, observed to be missing, were in the custody of 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 the minister, High Chief Edem Duke 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 Accountant General of the Federation; National Population Commission, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA; FCT Area Council Service Commission, Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Justice; National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA etc .

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.