The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has rejected records of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) importation presented by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for 2022 and 2023, over wide disparities between its figures and those of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The committee which made the rejection during a public hearing session with the oil firms at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, accordingly, resolved to summon the heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) for reconciliation of the records or final exposure of suspected fraud.
The disparities came to the fore when the management of NMDPRA responded to queries raised against it in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023.
The Authority Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, represented by Deputy Director, Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, told the committee that NMDPRA’s records on PMS importation were credible despite differences with NNPCL’s figures.
“We stand by 3.29 billion litres of PMS as volume imported in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres as volume imported in 2023, against 6.27 billion litres recorded by NNPCL in 2022 and 3.88 billion litres in 2023. The slight disparities are being looked into for possible reconciliation,” she said.
The submission drew strong reactions from members of the committee.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) said disparities of over 50 per cent could not be described 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 said.
Also, Senator Dayo Faduyile (Ondo South) said the gaps left room for suspicion that something was amiss.
Senator Anietie Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East) outrightly rejected the defence, insisting on a thorough investigation.
“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 short-changed and expose those milking the country dry,” Bassey said.
Ruling on the matter, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), said the committee found NMDPRA’s presentation unacceptable.
“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 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,” Dankwambo said.
He added that a tripartite meeting of the agencies would be convened soonest.
