Govs want independent probe of NNPC over $49.8bn

The A meachi-led Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has called on the National Assembly to launch a comprehensive independent audit on the alleged unremitted sum of $49.8bn by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The governors’ forum, through its chairman, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state read a communiqué on Wednesday night where he said no evidence could be traced for the payment of the earlier quoted amount to the federation account.

He said: “On the issue of the missing $49.8 billion (N8.5 trillion) or equivalent of 2 years of the national budget, there is no evidence that this amount was paid into the Federation Account or duly appropriated.

“We accordingly call on the National Assembly to institute a comprehensive independent forensic audit by an international reputable firm. We fear that the recent decline of State Revenues is not unconnected with the financial diversion.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who wrote to President Goodluck last September alleging the NNPC did not remit the money to the federation account as required later addressed a joint press conference with Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala admitting an error in the figure.

He clarified that $12 billion was unremitted but the finance minister maintained it is $10 billion.

Later, the NNPC said the $10.8bn not remitted had been spent on subsidies and repairs of vandalised petroleum pipelines across the country.

The governors also condemned what they put as “flagrant violation of the rights of citizens to freely assemble” by the Nigerian Police during a rally in Rivers state at the weekend.

The forum frowned at “the excessive use of force against unarmed citizens in the exercise of their fundamental rights and the shooting of Senator Magnus Abe.”

They also lamented the nation’s poor public accounting as well as the financial irregularities, saying there is the urgent need to return to the path of constitutionalism in the country.

The governors also expressed concern over the recent violent attacks and killings in Borno state and the attack on the father of the Kano state governor.