We are under funded to fight corruption - AGF

ABUJA—THE Auditor General of the Federation, AGF, Samuel Okura, yesterday, said that the office was under-funded by the Ministry of Finance to carry out its functions.

Okura, who disclosed this during the budget defence of N2.986 billion appropriated to the office with the Public Accounts Commission, PAC, against the N5.82 billion it proposed, said with what had been voted to the office, it was difficult for it to do its work well.

He said some people were afraid that if the office had enough funding, it would be able to expose ills in the ministries, departments and agencies.

According to him, staff of the AGF’s office do not have accommodation, which makes them attach with the Ministry of Finance, thereby compromising on their official assignments.

He said of the total of N2.986 billion voted to the office in the 2016 budget, N1.881 billion was for personnel cost, N654 million for overhead, while N450 million was earmarked for capital projects.

Members of PAC, chaired by Ibrahim Baba, frowned on the poor budgetary allocation to the AGF office, noting that the poor funding of the office had made it difficult to tackle corruption in the various government agencies.

The committee advocated that the AGF should be funded through first line charge so that it would be independent and effective in discharging its duties.

They argued that most of the work done by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Department of State Service, DSS and the Independent Corrupt Practises Commission, ICPC, should be the responsibility of the Auditor General.

Some of the committee members, who spoke separately at the budget defence of the Auditor General, Ossai Ossai, Wole Oke, Nnanna Igbokwe and others said: “The over-head budget has to be looked into; it would not enhance their efficiency.

“It is our desire to strengthen the institution, that we do not conduct business as usual. I doubt if what they have will be able to check, for example, the Ministry of Power alone.” Chairman of the Committee, Baba, assured the AGF that “we will try as much as possible to give due legislative consideration to all you have raised.”

Pointing out that they will need more from the office of the AGF in terms of auditing government projects.

We are under funded to fight corruption - AGF

Prosecute Fayose, others for rigging - Ekiti APC tells AGF

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has again urged the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to prosecute all indicted people in the June 21, 2014 Ekiti governorship election rigging scandal.

Fayose vows to lead opposition against APC

The renewed call followed media reports on confessional statements by the expelled Ekiti State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Tope Aluko.

The party said it had on two occasions petitioned the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on the same matter, stressing that the latest revelations had made it imperative for the nation’s chief law officer to act.

The Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, noted in a statement on Monday that the election fraud story had refused to go away despite all “shenanigans” by Governor Ayodele Fayose, who he said was the biggest beneficiary of the fraud.

According to him, the soldiers should not be made to suffer alone for the alleged crime committed with Fayose and others in the PDP who are still walking free.

Aluko had claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose N4.7bn cash to prosecute the election.

He also revealed how the PDP rigged the governorship election for Fayose.

But the APC spokesman said even though there was nothing new in the revelations, it had become pertinent to prosecute the suspects as the revelations were again emanating from an insider who participated fully in what is now known as Ekitigate.

Olatubosun said, “By Aluko’s revelations, we are justified in our claim that our candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, never lost that election but was criminally toppled by a coup d’etat orchestrated by Fayose in cahoots with President Jonathan’s administration that illegally deployed money and the military to ensure victory for Fayose.

“It is interesting that more names are coming up in the biggest election scam ever witnessed in Nigeria with the alleged participation of Ifeanyi Ubah of the infamous Transformation Agenda for Nigeria, a shady campaign group of former President Jonathan. No wonder Ubah was compensated with an honorary fellow award by Fayose at the Ekiti State College of Education for a job well done.”

The APC said President Muhammadu Buhari should use the Ekiti election fraud case to convince Nigerians that official impunity and fraud would not have a place in Nigeria under his watch.

“We have seen the army tackle the military aspect of the Army Probe Panel report. We expect the police and the AGF to also toe the same path in coming out with the civilian component of the probe report and act accordingly.”

Noting that Fayose had always mouthed his readiness to wave his immunity to face prosecution over alleged crimes, he said this was the time to wave that immunity clause to face prosecution on the electoral fraud.

Olatunbosun urged Nigerians to prevail on the minister of justice to compel Fayose to explain to the world what he meant by saying that he collected INEC soft copies and got them printed as captured in Capt. Sagir Koli’s tape detailing all activities connected with the Ekiti rigging.

“Besides Fayose talking on the tape about how INEC gave him soft copies that he printed to win the election, the minister of justice must also compel the governor, who spoke on election result collation in the tape, to tell Nigerians which election result he was collating in Efon-Alaaye on June 19, 2014, two clear days before the June 21, 2014 governorship election,” Olatunbosun added.

Meanwhile, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, and the South-East Zonal Spokesman for the APC, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, have called for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the rigging of the Ekiti election.

The two men, who spoke in separate telephone interviews on Monday, described the revelations about the rigging of the election in question as a good development.

Tsav noted that the revelation was good for the country’s democracy in the sense that it now shows that no crime can go undetected forever. This, he noted, would send a clear signal to all those who have plans to replicate such infamy to have a rethink.

According to him, the revelation will also assist Nigerians to be more vigilant in subsequent elections with a view to ensuring that they not only vote but that their votes count.

He said, “Without a doubt, these (revelations) show that the no-nonsense disposition of President Buhari to issues of impunity and corruption is beginning to yield fruits because people now come up with revelations that will help improve the electoral system.”

Prosecute Fayose, others for rigging - Ekiti APC tells AGF

FG won’t overlook petition against Lamorde –AGF

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said the petition, accusing the immediate past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, of diverting about N1tn seized by the anti-graft agency from corruption convicts, will not be overlooked.

Malami, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, admitted that investigation into the allegation required time.

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde

The AGF added that any petition, as long as it had to do with corruption, would not be overlooked.

The minister said, “It is just a matter of a little patience over issues. As you know, investigation takes a lot of consideration, a lot of revelations; but whatever it is, as long as the petition relates to corruption, it cannot be overlooked.

“Whatever is presented by a way of a petition will not be overlooked and at the end of the day, appropriate step shall be taken. There is nothing that can be overlooked. Whatever is presented shall be looked into.”

Before Malami was appointed the AGF, the Federal Ministry of Justice had directed the EFCC to investigate the allegation that Lamorde diverted about N1tn proceeds of corruption recovered by the anti-graft agency.

The ministry’s directive followed a September 18, 2015 petition to the then Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Abdullahi Yola.

The petitioner, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, a security firm, George Uboh, had sent a reminder dated September 28, Yola, threatening to sue the minister if he failed to respond to his petition within seven days.

Uboh had, in his petition, asked the justice ministry “through which the EFCC derives its power to prosecute or immediately rescind the fiat to prosecute criminal suspects from EFCC.”

He also sought an immediate issuance of “fiat for the prosecution of EFCC’s past and present leadership and their known and unknown co-conspirators via the 22-page preliminary criminal charges the undersigned has prepared.”

Uboh, who had earlier petitioned the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, levelling the same set of allegations against Lamorde, received the ministry’s letter, dated October 8, 2015.

The letter was signed by the Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Muhammad Diri, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.

Copies of the letter were made available to journalists in Abuja.

It indicated that Yola had directed the EFCC to investigate the allegation against Lamorde and to forward the result of its investigation to him “as soon as it is completed”.

The letter, with reference number DPPA/PET/EFCC/006/2008 reads, “I refer to your letter dated September 28, 2015, in respect of the above mentioned subject matter.

“I am directed to inform you that your petition has been sent to the EFCC for its response to the allegation contained therein. The commission has been directed by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary to forward the result of its investigation as soon as it is completed.

“Accept please, the assurances of the highest regards of the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary.”

It will be recalled that in the petition to the Senate, Uboh had alleged that Lamorde in March, 2013, diverted N779m out of the total N3bn forfeited by a former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, to the Federal Government

He also alleged that the EFCC boss conspired with some officials of the anti-graft agency to under-remit the ex-IG’s forfeited funds of about N5.85bn into the Consolidated Revenue Account by holding back about N2.65bn.

But Lamorde had, on November 17, approached a Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order restraining security agents from arresting him.

According to court documents made available to journalists by Festus Keyamo, his lawyer, Lamorde also asked the court for an order setting aside all letters of invitation issued against him by the National Assembly to appear before it.

Joined in the suit are the Senate, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General, Department of State Services as first, second, third and fourth defendants respectively.

Lamorde, a police officer, was removed as the EFCC chairman on November 9, four years after he took over as head of the anti-graft agency.

The former EFCC boss had been replaced by Ibrahim Magu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and a former Head of the Economic Governance Unit of the agency, who was appointed in acting capacity.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, told one of our correspondents on Sunday that his panel had not been served any court process, insisting that proceedings in the case would resume as soon as the Senate resumed in the second week of January.

Anyanwu added, “We are still going ahead with our investigation as soon as we resume because there is no court process, to the best of my knowledge, stalling the investigation.

“We have not been served any court process. Lamorde’s lawyers merely informed us that his client travelled out on medical grounds.”

The EFCC, in a statement in September by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the petition contained a lot of falsehood.

Uwujaren had said, “The Commission maintained a dignified silence over the past couple of weeks, not because it had anything to hide, but preferred to wait for the report of KPMG, the international audit firm, which it commissioned in June, 2014, to undertake a forensic audit of the record of exhibits and assets recovered by the commission since the creation of EFCC in 2003.

“The decision to commission KPMG for the audit was inspired, not by the fact that institutional memory had become an issue with the exit of most seconded staff over the years, but by a burning desire to benchmark its assets record keeping with best international standards.

“In addition, over the years, unfounded allegation of misappropriation of assets against the commission has become an attractive weapon in the hands of blackmailers of the leadership of the commission in particular and the commission in general.”

FG won’t overlook petition against Lamorde –AGF

Kogi Election: Wada drags APC, INEC, AGF to court

…asks court to compel INEC to declare him winner

Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State and his party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Wada winner of the inconclusive governorship election held in the state last Saturday.

Idris Wada

They made the request in a suit they filed before the court on Thursday, which has INEC, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants.

It is Wada’s contention that in view of the death of the candidate of the APC, Abubkar Audu, it was incumbent on INEC to declare him winner of the election, which INEC declared inconclusive.

He hinged his argument on the ground that he was the only surviving candidate with the majority of lawful votes cast in the election held on 21st November 2015.

He also asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue him with a Certificate of Return.

Wada and the PDP also filed another application praying the court to restrain INEC from conducting the December 5th supplementary election.

The governor is seeking an order of injunction restraining APC from organising or holding a fresh primary election for the purpose of any ‎supplementary or other election for the Kogi State governorship election 2015.

He also asked the court‎ to declare that APC cannot organise or hold a fresh primary election for the purpose of the supplementary election, having regard to the immutable statutory timeliness provided by enabling sections of the Electoral Act 2010 and the INEC timetable for Kogi Governorship election.

The plaintiffs asked the court to declare that the AGF was not competent to issue directives to INEC to allow APC to substitute its candidate for the Kogi governorship election after the commencement of the election, and that such directive is null and void for its inconsistency with the provisions of the constitution.

They urged the court to hold that APC could not lawfully nominate a candidate for the supplementary governorship election slated for December 5, 2015, without a valid and legally cognizable primary election of the APC conducted within the mandatory timeliness specified by the Electoral Act.

Wada and PDP further asked the court to declare that, “having regards to the provisions of Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2010, votes scored by a candidate who died during an election cannot be inherited by or transferred to a person who was not a candidate at the said election and who did not participate in all stages of such election, for the purpose of concluding such election.

The plaintiffs, in a 36-‎paragraph supporting affidavit deposed to by the PDP State Collation Agent for the election, Joe Agada, it was stated that with the demise of APC’s candidate, the two leading candidates became Wada with 199,514 votes and that of the Labour Party with 8, 756 votes.

“That I know as a fact that INEC on this basis ought to declare ‎Wada the winner of the governorship election of 21st November 2015, being the only surviving candidate with the highest number of votes and scoring 25 per cent of the votes in all the Local Government Areas of the State.”

The case has not been assigned to any judge for hearing.

The suit by Wada and his party is coming shortly after the late Audu’s running mate, ‎James Faleke, wrote to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, seeking to be declared the winner of the election.

In a letter written by his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Faleke said that the only option opened to INEC is to declare him the governor-elect.

Olanipekun wrote, “What INEC should do is to obey, respect and comply with the letters, spirit, intendment and tenor of the constitution by not only declaring APC as the winner of the election, but by also declaring our client as the governor-elect.”

He said that INEC’s directive to APC to conduct a new primary to select a candidate to replace Audu was “unfounded, both legally and constitutionally. It can also not be reasonably or rationally defended.”

He drew the attention of the INEC chairman to the provision of section 68(1) and (c) of the Electoral Act to the effect that any result declared by Returning Officer shall be final and binding, and can only be reviewed or upturned by an election tribunal.

Kogi Election: Wada drags APC, INEC, AGF to court

PDP Demands AGF’s Resignation Over Kogi Election

……Rejects Call For APC’s Replacement Of Candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami to immediately vacate his office for harrying and misleading the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into arriving at an unconstitutional decision to allow the APC to substitute its candidate in the inconclusive Kogi state governorship election.

Olisah Metuh

This was contained in a statement signed on Tuesday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh.

The party said it is shocked that INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process.

His words “We are all aware that the two legal documents guiding INEC in the conduct of elections; the Constitution and the Electoral Act, have provisions for electoral exigencies as well as empower the electoral body to fully take responsibility for any of its actions or inaction without undue interference from any quarters whatsoever.

“We are therefore at a loss as to which sections of these two relevant laws, INEC and the AGF relied on in arriving at their bizarre decision to substitute a dead candidate in an on-going election even after the timelines for such has elapsed under all the rules”

PDP continued: “INEC as a statutory body has the full complements of technical hands in its legal department to advice it appropriately and we wonder why it had to wait for directives from the AGF, an external party, if not for partisan and subjective interest.

“Consequently, the PDP rejects in its entirety, this brazen move by the APC and INEC to circumvent the laws and ambush the yet-to-be concluded election by introducing a practice that is completely alien to the constitution and the electoral act.

“The clear implication of this action of the AGF and INEC is that the APC would be fielding two different governorship candidates in the on-going Kogi election, meaning that INEC would be transferring votes cast for late Prince Abubakar Audu to another candidate, scenarios that have no place in the constitution of the land.

“Whereas the PDP, in honour of the sanctity of human life and respect for the dead, had since Sunday refrained from making comments on the conduct of the election, we can no longer maintain such in the face of the barefaced attack on our democracy.

“This INEC under the leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has shown itself as partisan, morally bankrupt and obviously incapable of conducting a credible election within our laws.

“In view of the foregoing therefore, the PDP demands an immediate resignation of the INEC Chairman, as the nation’s democracy cannot afford to be left in the hands of an electoral umpire that cannot exert its independence and the sanctity of the electoral process”

PDP Demands AGF’s Resignation Over Kogi Election

Reps issue 24-hour ultimatum to CBN, NNPC, AGF over missing N59.6 billion

The House of Representatives Committee on Public accounts Tuesday issued a 24 hour ultimatum to the acting governor of

Tambuwal and the others

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sarah Alade and the Executive Director of Finance, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Accountant General to the Federation (AGF), Mr Jonah Otunla to explain their various roles in the alleged missing  N59.6 billion Service Wide Vote in 2006.

Representatives of NNPC, CBN and AGF has during the investigative hearing held Tuesday denied knowledge about the disbursement of the fund.

In his submission, the NNPC GM Accounts, Mr Sambo Aliyu presented a letter written by the Budget Office in response to NNPC’s enquiry on the whereabouts of the missing fund.

He however noted that the budget office responded that the money was released to NNPC.

But when asked whether the money was released to NNPC, Aliyu responded that “the cash was not released, we did not see any money.”

While reacting to his submission, members of the Committee insisted that all the relevant agencies should be summoned once again.

Also when the representative of CBN, Mr Dipo Fatokun was asked to explain what he knows about the missing fund, he simply replied saying “we will need to get the mandates from the AGF.”

Unhappy with his response, some of the lawmakers declared that Fatokun should come along with his superiors Wednesday as his response so far has not been encouraging.

Also when queried on the missing fund, Mrs. Tayo Toluwase a director, in the budget office simply said she does not have all the relevant details on the issue.

While ruling, Chairman of PAC, Rep Olamilekan Adeola, ordered that the AGF should bring all the documents that involved the disbursement of the fund.

According to him, such documents include all bank transactions between July and December 2006, a copy of the federation account, copies of statements of accounts through CBN for the period under review.

He explained that “if there was any mandate on the said missing N59.6bn it will show at a glance.

“We are tired of all the excuses of all the agencies involved claiming ignorant at one stage or the other.”

Reps issue 24-hour ultimatum to CBN, NNPC, AGF over missing N59.6 billion

Why i can"t audit NNPC, says Audit General

The Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) has said the Constitution bars him from auditing the account of the the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He spoke at the resumed hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance’s public hearing on the allegation made by suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi that $20 billion has not been accounted for by the NNPC.

Ukura said Section 85 (2) (3) of the Constitution barred him from auditing NNPC’s account.

He said the Constitution empowered him to list qualified auditors out of which those to audit NNPC could be selected.

Ukura told the committee that 20 of his officials were in NNPC, conducting periodic check on the corporation’s revenue and expenses. He said it included expenses on subsidy.

The Chairman of teh committee, Ahmed Makarfi, mandated Ukura to confirm in writing that he was conducting check on the NNPC and that the checks cover all items identified by the committee, including subsidy issues.

On the $2 billion third part financing, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, said the submission to the committee gave a detailed account of the fund.

Yakubu said the details included Reserved Development Projects, Satellite Oil Field and others.

He said what NNPC is accounting for is the total oil lifting on behalf of the Federal Government.

On the controversial $6 billion said to have been paid to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) by the NNPC, the Acting CBN Governor, Sarah Alade, told the committee that it depended on what the law provides.

Mrs Alade noted that they noticed that $6billion was on the operations of NPDC but “we don’t know what they are to actually remit” because “it depends on what the law says.”

She recalled that Sanusi stated at the public hearing that the law would determine what would go to the Federation Account of the $6 billion.

On reconciliation with NNPC, she said since they left the public hearing last week, they have not been invited for further reconciliation.

Mrs Alade said: “The new figure, after reconciliation, we have not been invited to any reconciliation. On the second issue, which is the $6bn, for NPDC, we don’t know the portion to be paid to the Federation Account.

“The legal opinion, according to the governor, would determine what part should go the Federation Account.”

Makarfi said there was need to be specific instead of building figures.

He added that without being specific some people would continue to assume that the $6 billion was supposed to have been paid into the Federation Account.

He noted that though it was wrong to assume that $6 billion should go to the Federation Account, the committee would determine what part of the $6 billion should go to the Federation Account. But Makarfi said the NNPC ought not to have stated that $2 billion went to third party arrangement.

The committee chairman said his total calculation amounted to about $1.3 billion.

He said the committee was interested to know how much went to each of the financiers, including Exxon Mobil and Total Nigeria, out of the 67 billion lifting.

As the disagreement continued, Makarfi asked NNPC GMD whether he wanted to withdraw his submission to rework it.

He noted that it was obvious that if the entire figures provided by NNPC are calculated, they cannot add up to $2 billion.

Yakubu said the governing structure of the third party arrangement explained what went to the parties.

Makarfi insisted that the calculation did not still add up to $2 billion.

Yakubu noted that “in view of the confusion, there is the need to further clarify and align all figures.”

Yakubu also said on the $2bn third party financing of some projects, Reserve Development Project between January 2012 to July 2013 cost $1.53bn; remittance to FAAC is $211m and $700bn went back to third party financing arrangement.

The NNPC GMD added: “It is good that we have this opportunity to drill down to the dynamics of these funds and that is what we have been saying all along.

“We cannot take it on the face values without looking at the details. Now we are going into detail disbursements of these money.

“A substantial frame has gone back to the Federation Account and that is what we have been saying that if we had been patient enough to go into the details, we would be able to see them.

“Yes, we captured $2bn but we are seeing clearly in our details that it was actually $2.4bn and a substantial part of it had gone back to the Federation Account.

“The governance structure of the third party financing is what we will take back to see how we can have a detailed explanation to the distinguished committee to see how the third party financing governance is done.

“The escrow account system, and how it is managed from the beginning of the project to the end. When you borrow money from the bank or any financial institution, you have governance structure you will adhere to and when you have an escrow account, that means you will have some money trapped until the end of the obligation.

“These are some of the details that are beginning to come out and we have the opportunity to go back now to give a detail explanation including how the funds are being managed and then we would be able to account for every stream that is being managed within the third party financing.”

Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) Managing Director, Farouq Ahmed, said in 2012, the total quantity delivered by the marketers that qualifies for subsidy claims was 7, 714, 735, 580.71 litres which corresponds to N461.40.7bn .

For 2013 (other marketers), he said the total volume delivered which qualified for subsidy claims was 8,997, 776, 652.81 litres which corresponds to N467, 620 ,657, 674.24.

He put the total claims for the two years at N928, 668, 365, 37.70.

He said in October 2011, the total volume of PMS based on the certificate granted to NNPC in terms of volumes delivery of PMS was 520, 464, 371 litres corresponding to N40, 385, 473, 266.32 while the volume for HHK is 171, 515, 288 litres and the total naira value for the two components (PMS and HHK) is N17, 643, 898, 129.01.

He said: “There is also one for October of the same year which is classified as October arrears and its for HHK alone.

“The volume is 18, 240, 866 litres corresponding to a value of N1, 935, 691.442.2. PMS volume delivered in November 2011 was 431, 755, 629 litres corresponding to N34, 63, 432, 840.66.

“Volume delivered for HHK was 129 209, 34 litres with the value of N13, 504, 495, 477.84. For December 2011 batch A, PMS in terms of volumes 960, 674, 907 litres corresponding to N77, 006, 459, 517.65.

“For HHK December 2011 batch A, volume was 94, 564, 678 litres corresponding to N10, 135, 880, 308.08. December batch B, volume delivered was 144, 961, 484 litres corresponding to N11, 318, 805, 386.1. December batch B for HHK the volume delivered was 88, 643, 792 litres corresponding to N9, 576, 977, 84.55.

“The total of PMS delivered in the first quarter of 2011 by the NNPC is 2, 057, 856, 391 litres corresponding to N162, 774, 171, 10.73 while the HHA was 504, 173, 658 litres corresponding to N52, 786, 942, 442.3.

“Therefore the total certification granted to NNPC by the PPRA for 2011 (PMS and HHK) was N215, 561, 113, 453.03.”

The committee directed the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to submit in writing what it received from the NNPC and part of the $6 billion that went to the federation Account.

The Committee asked the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) if it received $869.9 million from NPDC.

The DPR told the committee that when companies pay money, it takes them some time to confirm the payment.

The agency, however, confirmed receipt of $415,239,365.66 and another $722,943,664.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) confirmed the receipt of $863 million from NPDC.

The committee asked NPDC to hasten the payment of the balance to FIRS since it (NPDC) accepted the liability of the balance in their submission.

Makarfi said the committee would start technical session after yesterday’s sitting.

He said the Senate had approved the appointment of a consultant while the executive was free to conduct its forensic audit.

He said the work of the consultant would enrich the submission of the committee to the Senate. (0)

Why i can"t audit NNPC, says Audit General