The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts is expecting the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Mele Kyari, to appear before it on Thursday over an audit query issued by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The query alleges under remittance of revenue from domestic crude oil sales totalling N3.88tn.
The OAUGF issued another other query against the NNPC bothering on the non-collection of miscellaneous gas receipts for some months in 2015, asking the corporation to refund N450bn to the Federation Account; another refund of N1.8tn as well as unpaid gas revenue without details worth $198,919,212.27 (N37,189,084,819.19).
Kyari is particularly expected to respond to the audit query on ‘payment through Nigeria Gas Limited Funding Account $30,963,894.01 (N16,099,887,119.77) as well as misapplication of Joint Venture Cash Calls for other purposes, $292,094,405.82 and N2,474,295,000’.
The committee, therefore, requested “full brief on the account and utilisation of fund with retirement details’ cash books, mandates with bank statement, payment vouchers for operation on the NGL funding account.”
Beneficiaries from the Nigeria Gas Limited Funding Account, namely Century Energy Service Ltd, United Refining Rachmann, Union Petroleum Service, Ocean Bed Trading Limited, Ice Energy & Petroleum, Mangrove Pet. Supplies & Logistic, and Unicorp Trading Ltd are also expected to appear before the committee.
Chairman of the committee, Wole Oke, in a two-page letter of invitation with Reference Number HR/PAC/SCO5/9NASS/FA/2015/1, dated February 1, 2021, urged Kyari to cause appearance before the lawmakers alongside the management of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services at the hearing.
The committee will also be investigating non-availability of Joint Venture bank statement and reconciliation statement as well as the bank statement of the Joint Venture account.
The lawmakers are also probing the non-declaration of projects from NNPC Joint Ventures, audited account for 2014 and 2015 financial years, full breakdown of production figures by the Joint Ventures (PSC, SC, etc, for proper reconciliation) as well as comprehensive records of transactions relating to the unpaid gas revenue worth $198,919,212.27 (N39,189,084,819.19).
The committee disclosed that no fewer than 26 companies/entities who benefitted from the fund were to appear with Kyari.
The letter read in part, “Pursuant to the committee’s constitutional mandate over matters relating to public finance management, audit and expenditure as provided in Sections 80, 85, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order XVIII – Rule 6 of the House of Representatives Standing Orders, the Public Accounts Committee has commenced investigative hearing on the Auditor-General’s reports on the Federation Accounts for 2015.
“During a hearing session with the accountant-general office on Friday, 29th January, 2021, the committee resolved that you cause appearance to respond to the issues.”
