Missing $20bn: Anti-graft Coalition accuses NNPC of lies
The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has censured the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation over its lies to the Senate Committee on Finance investigating the alleged non-remittance of $20bn oil proceeds to the Federation Account said.
The NNPC had in both oral and written submissions to the Committee that its subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) was in possession of $6bn out of the said $20bn.
The NPDC has however denied that $6bn proceeds from a third party crude sale arrangement were paid into its account by the NNPC. The Managing Director of NPDC, Mr. Victor Briggs, told the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led committee that he did not receive the money from the NNPC and that his agency did not rely on the corporation for the funding of its activities.
Reacting to the news, the Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Mr. Debo Adeniran noted that the revelation by the NPDC confirmed the level of rots in the NNPC.
He said, "It is very ridiculous how our leaders lie blatantly to Nigerians everyday. This revelation by the NPDC has confirmed the ugly trend of corruption in the system. It is no longer news that the NNPC is the cesspit of official corruption in the country and the conduit pipe through which our common patrimony is diverted into private coffers. It is so unfortunate that a whooping $20bn got missing in the NNPC care and all the corporation could do is to blab. Is the NNPC telling Nigerians that it doesn't keep the account of crude oil proceeds and its expenditures? Why is it difficult for a corporation that boasts of professionals in different fields to reconcile its accounts from 2012 to 2013, which is just a year?
Whosoever told such barefaced lie must be cooling his feet in the jail now, if it were in saner climes. $20bn is no small money, we need to investigate where this money went. It is high time President Goodluck Jonathan asked the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke to step aside for presiding over the rots, so as to give room for a dispassionate investigation."
The anti-corruption crusader therefore urged the Senate Committee to do a thorough investigation on the allegation and hand over its report to the relevant anti-graft agencies for appropriate prosecution.
The NNPC had in both oral and written submissions to the Committee that its subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) was in possession of $6bn out of the said $20bn.
The NPDC has however denied that $6bn proceeds from a third party crude sale arrangement were paid into its account by the NNPC. The Managing Director of NPDC, Mr. Victor Briggs, told the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led committee that he did not receive the money from the NNPC and that his agency did not rely on the corporation for the funding of its activities.
Reacting to the news, the Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Mr. Debo Adeniran noted that the revelation by the NPDC confirmed the level of rots in the NNPC.
He said, "It is very ridiculous how our leaders lie blatantly to Nigerians everyday. This revelation by the NPDC has confirmed the ugly trend of corruption in the system. It is no longer news that the NNPC is the cesspit of official corruption in the country and the conduit pipe through which our common patrimony is diverted into private coffers. It is so unfortunate that a whooping $20bn got missing in the NNPC care and all the corporation could do is to blab. Is the NNPC telling Nigerians that it doesn't keep the account of crude oil proceeds and its expenditures? Why is it difficult for a corporation that boasts of professionals in different fields to reconcile its accounts from 2012 to 2013, which is just a year?
Whosoever told such barefaced lie must be cooling his feet in the jail now, if it were in saner climes. $20bn is no small money, we need to investigate where this money went. It is high time President Goodluck Jonathan asked the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke to step aside for presiding over the rots, so as to give room for a dispassionate investigation."
The anti-corruption crusader therefore urged the Senate Committee to do a thorough investigation on the allegation and hand over its report to the relevant anti-graft agencies for appropriate prosecution.
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