Senate Orders Investigation Into N177bn NPA Operating Surplus

The Senate has mandated its Committee on Marine Transport to investigate the alleged N177 billion operating surplus of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

This was sequel to a motion brought before the Red Chamber by Senator Mohammed Hassan.

Hassan, who came under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended), alleged that the NPA reported a gross revenue of N303 billion in 2017, out of which N177 billion operating surplus was unaccounted for.

He said that he made the discoveries when the Authority appeared before the Committee during its 2018 statutory budget defence.

Hassan, who is also a member of the Committee, wondered why the Committee was yet to present its report, seven months after the management of the Agency appeared before it.

“You will recall that seven months ago, the budget of the NPA was presented to this Senate. And since then, the Committee swung into action. And very serious observations were raised at the committee level. One of such was that NPA recorded a gross revenue of N303 billion.

“Meanwhile, its expenditure for that year was N125 billion. Therefore, N177 billion operating surplus that was recorded by NPA. Not a single dime was reported to have been remitted either to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) or to the General Reserve Fund.

“We raised these fundamental observations to the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority and six months later, we have not heard anything from them. So, the question is: where is this N177 billion? Seven months after, we have not heard from the Committee, we have not heard from the Management (of NPA),” he said.

Reacting to Hassan’s allegation, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmed Sani, attributed the delay to the gap in the harmonisation of the panel’s report with that of the House of Representatives.

He also defended NPA’s action, citing Section 82 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The Section, which deals with the ‘Authorisation of expenditure from Consolidated Revenue Fund’, provides that: “If the Appropriation Bill in respect of any financial year has not been passed into law by the beginning of the financial year, the President may authorise the withdrawal of moneys in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government of the Federation for a period not exceeding months or until the coming into operation of the Appropriate Act, whichever is the earlier:

“Provided that the withdrawal in respect of any such period shall not exceed the amount authorised to be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation under the provisions of the Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly for the corresponding period in the immediately preceding financial year, being an amount proportionate to the total amount so authorised for the immediately preceding financial year”.

In their separate contributions, Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Na’allah and Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, suggested that the matter be referred to the Committee, expressing concern that members of the Committee would engage in altercation in the Chamber.

In his ruling, the President of the Senate, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who presided over the session, asked the Committee to look into the matter, and report back in three days.