The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has rejected the petroleum importation information offered by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for 2022 and 2023 over vital discrepancies with figures reported by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The committee consequently resolved to summon the heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to clarify the variations and facilitate a reconciliation of the information.
The transfer adopted the committee’s consideration of NMDPRA’s response to queries raised within the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report masking 2021 to 2023 yesterday in Abuja.
The discrepancies concern the amount of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), generally referred to as petrol, imported into Nigeria in the course of the interval below assessment.
Responding to the committee’s queries, NMDPRA Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, represented by Deputy Director Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, defended the authority’s figures, insisting that its information had been credible regardless of the variations with these of NNPCL.
“We stand by 3.29 billion litres of PMS as quantity imported in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres as quantity imported in 2023 towards 6.27 billion litres recorded by NNPCL in 2022 and three.88 billion litres in 2023.
“The slight disparities are being looked into for possible reconciliation,” she stated.
However, the reason didn’t fulfill members of the committee, who described the variations as vital and known as for an intensive investigation.
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, stated the discrepancies, which exceed 50 per cent in some comparisons, couldn’t be dismissed as slight.
“The disparities in records of PMS importation between NMDPRA and NNPCL in 2022 and 2023, as stated in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report of 2021 to 2023, are too wide to be described as slight or being looked into without the seriousness required,” Ningi stated.
Similarly, Senator Dayo Faduyile, representing Ondo South, expressed concern that the conflicting figures known as into query the accuracy of the information submitted by the 2 companies.
He stated the discrepancies left appreciable room for suspicion that one thing was amiss.
Senator Anietan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East, outrightly rejected NMDPRA’s defence, insisting that the committee should examine the variations to ascertain the proper figures and shield the nation’s pursuits.
“Mr Chairman and very distinguished colleagues, these questionable records of volume of PMS importation by the two agencies must be thoroughly investigated to save Nigerians from being yearly shortchanged and expose those milking the country dry,” Bassey stated.
Following the exchanges, the committee, chaired by Senator Hassan Dankwabo, representing Gombe North, rejected NMDPRA’s rationalization and resolved to convene a gathering involving the three companies.
In asserting the choice, Dankwabo stated the committee thought-about the authority’s response unacceptable in view of the discrepancies highlighted within the NEITI audit report.
“In view of the unacceptability of presentations made by the representative of NMDPRA on queries raised against it in the NEITI Oil and Gas Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023, specifically on the volume of PMS imported within the years under review, this committee resolved to summon heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL and NEITI for reasons behind the wide disparities,” he stated.
The deliberate assembly is predicted to supply a chance for the companies to clarify the variations of their information and decide whether or not the figures could be reconciled.
The committee’s determination additionally alerts additional scrutiny of petroleum importation information, with lawmakers looking for readability on the conflicting figures and accountability from the companies liable for regulating, reporting and monitoring actions in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
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