Top officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may be in for serious trouble as the Auditor-General of the Federation, Samuel Ukura, said on Monday that his office had discovered fraud at the petroleum agency totalling N3.2 trillion.
This discovery may have confirmed the allegation by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that several billions of dollars, being proceeds from the sale of crude oil, disappeared under Deziani Alison-Madueke as Minister of Petroleum under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
A report presented by Ukura to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Makaisuwa, showed that out of the N3.3 trillion fraud discovered, the NNPC alone has a case to answer concerning the non-remittance of N3.2 trillion, which is about half of Nigeria’s budget for 2016, to the Federation Account Allocation Committee.
The report also indicted the Office of the National Security Adviser under embattled Sambo Dasuki for receiving funds for the construction of dams instead of the fund going to the ministry in charge.
“The sum of N36 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser for the rehabilitation and construction of Dams instead of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
“The sum of N2.9 billion was spent for the procurement of hand sanitiser for schools and critical public places.
“The sum of N31 billion was payment of subsidy on fertiliser and youth employment in Agriculture programme.
“The sum N2.4 billion was payment for group life Assurance Premium for Armed Forces Budget in 2013 but not cashed back.
“The sum of N500 million was payment for schools Agricultural programmes.
“From examination of NNPC mandates to CBN on domestic crude Oil sales and reconciliation statement of Technical Sub-committee of Federation Allocation Committee meeting held in January 2014, amount not remitted to FAAC was N3.2 trillion.
“Review of sales profile on sales of Gas to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas was not paid to the Federation Account but transferred to some undisclosed Escrow Accounts. Relevant documents were not made available for verification,” part of the report read listing other government agencies like the Police Service Commission, Foreign Mission, Nigeria Ports Authority, Petroleum Equalisation Fund, Nigerian Prison Service and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria as involved in the discovered fraud.
