The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has rejected petrol importation records presented by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, over discrepancies with figures supplied by NNPC Limited.
The committee resolved to summon the heads of both organisations and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, to explain the differences.
The discrepancies emerged during a hearing on queries arising from NEITI’s Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023.
Representing NMDPRA Chief Executive Rabiu Umar, Deputy Director Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe told lawmakers that the authority’s records were credible.
She said its figures showed petrol imports of 3.29 billion litres in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres in 2023.
NNPC’s records, however, showed 6.27 billion litres for 2022 and 3.88 billion litres for 2023.
Ugwu-Ojobe described the differences as slight and said reconciliation was ongoing.
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, rejected that explanation, saying a discrepancy exceeding fifty per cent could not be considered slight.
Senator Dayo Faduyile, representing Ondo South, said the conflicting figures raised concerns about possible wrongdoing.
Senator Anietie Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East, sought a thorough investigation to ensure Nigerians were not shortchanged.
Committee Chairman, Senator Hassan Dankwambo, representing Gombe North, said the explanation was unacceptable.
He announced that the heads of NMDPRA, NNPC and NEITI would appear together before the committee to reconcile the records and establish whether any wrongdoing had occurred.
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Editor: Ada Ononye
