Senate Probes Alleged N5.6bn Unremitted NNPC, NPDC Funds

Adopting a motion sponsored by Dino Melaye, the Senate alleged that NPDC has continued to lift crude oil from divested oil wells OML 61, 62 and 63 worth over $3.487 billion without remitting same to the Federation Account since 2013.

Therefore the senate also mandated its Committees on Petroleum Upstream and Finance to investigate the allegation with a view to recovering every fund due to the Federation Account.

It also mandated the NNPC and NPDC to immediately remit monies obtained on behalf of the Federal Government to the Federation Account upon lifting.

Reacting to the claim, the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki said: “We must put an end to this type of level of misappropriation and recklessness. This must stop. I believe that this committee has a duty to ensure that they work very hard to get to the bottom of this.

“The frightening part about it is not just OML 61,62, and 63. OML 65, 111, 119 too are still there. Lastly and secondly even more worrisome is the fact that they did it in the last administration and now they are carrying out the same practice again. We must put an end to this and we cannot continue this issue where some people are sabotaging the efforts to fight corruption.”

Melaye also described the act as unlawful, wilful misappropriation and criminal withholding of public revenue by NNPC and NPDC.

He said the two agencies of government have been carrying out crude oil lifting under questionable circumstances.

According to him, the alleged corruption had increased to such an extent that “in this year alone between January August, a total of $344.442 million worth of oil has been lifted by NPDC without remittance to the Federation Account in addition to not paying royalties and other taxes on these liftings”.

“The continuing practice of withholding part of domestic crude oil sales proceeds by NNPC for use in pipeline repairs and product losses. Despite the much trumpeted anti-corruption stance of the current administration that this level of corruption could still be nestled and tucked in by highly placed individuals is derisive of the entire anti-corruption fight”.

Meanwhile, Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the House of Representatives, also on Tuesday inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate huge debts of over N500 billion and alleged criminal acts of sabotage by oil companies.

Some of the companies invited to appear before the ad-hoc committee are: Oando, Forte Oil, Total Oil, Conoil, Mobil Oil, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited.

Others include: MRS Oil and Gas, Heyden Petroleum, Rahamaniyya Petroleum, Amicable Petroleum, Aiteo Petroleum, Honeywell Oil, Capital Oil, Felande Petroleum, Sharon Oil and Zamson Petroleum.