House Of Reps Probe Of Alleged N20bn Payment To Ghost Consultant Will Vindicate Us, NNPC Assures

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd has assured that the investigation by the House of Representatives into the alleged payment of N20bn to :ghost consultants will exonerate the National Oil Company.

It said this in a statement issued on Friday night and signed by Garba Deen Muhammad, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd.

The statement said the NNPC Ltd Welcomes the House of Representatives Investigation into Alleged “Payment to Ghost Consultants”

It reads, “The NNPC Ltd has received with great relief, the resolution of the House of Representatives to investigate allegation of the payment of a huge sum of twenty billion naira to so-called “ghost consultants.”

“NNPC Ltd had earlier refuted this false and baseless allegation that was first published by an online platform without any iota of evidence.

“Under the current Board and Management, NNPC Ltd has instituted a culture of transparency that includes making its annual Audited Financial Statements (AFS) public.

“It is in this light that the NNPC Ltd welcomes the resolution of the House of Representatives to investigate this very outrageous allegation.

“NNPC Ltd is confident that the outcome of any investigation into the false allegation will vindicate the company, and put an end to all speculations concerning the matter.”

The NNPC had denied report published by an online media platform (Not THE WHISTLER) that it paid the sum of N20bn to ghost consultants.

The NNPC Ltd had said in the statement that as a responsible corporate organization, it does not have or deal with ghost consultants.

It said that the process of engaging consultants whenever the need arises is clear and verifiable and such action follow global best practices.

The statement reads in part, “The NNPC Ltd read with utmost dismay, a report by an online platform Sahara Reporters alleging paying the sum of N20bn to ghost consultants and theft of multi-billion Naira tax due to the Ogun State Government.

“The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that as a responsible corporate organization, it does not have or deal with ghost consultants.

“At NNPC Ltd, the process of engaging consultants whenever the need arises is clear and verifiable and follow global best practices.

“It is therefore unfortunate that for whatever reason, the said online platform would make such a grievous allegation, mindless of the consequences of such actions. The claim of a missing N20bn is absolutely false and baseless.

“The NNPC Ltd therefore demands that Sahara Reporters retracts the said publication immediately; and going forward, the platform should verify its facts before going to press.”