Audit Query: House Committee Summons Heads of NNPC’s 17 Subsidiaries

Juliet Akoje in Abuja.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has once again summoned the 17 subsidiaries of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to appear before it to answer questions on the audit queries issued by the Auditor General for the Federation over the operation of their finances between 2014 and 2019.

The summon which was personally signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke (PDP -Osun) and dated March 16, 2022, was addressed to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari.
The letter titled, “Consideration of the Auditor General of Federation’s Annual report on Federations account 2014-2019 financial year and non-rendition of audited account by NNPC subsidiaries covering the period 2014-2019 to the Auditor General’s Office.”

It read: “Pursuant to section 85, 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution as amended and Order XX Rule 6 of the House of Representatives Standing Order, I again request you to provide all the Managing Directors of the following 17 NNPC subsidiaries with their Accounting Officers to appear before the Committee and answer all issues raised against them in the above subject matter.”

The subsidiaries included the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company Limited, Duke Oil Company Inc; West Africa Gas Limited Nidas Marine Limited who are the appear on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Others included Hyson (Nigeria) Limited,  Nigeria Gas Company, National Engineering and Technical Company, National Petroleum Exchange, NNPC Pensions Limited, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company who are to appear on Thursday, March 24, 2022, while the Port Harcourt Refining Company,  NNPC Retail Limited, Integrated Data Service Limited, National Petroleum Investment & Management Services (NAPIMS) and  Petroleum Product Pricing Regulator Agency PPPRA) are expected to appear on Friday, March 25.

The companies, according to the letter, were expected to provide copies of their Audited Accounts for 2015 -2021 in compliance with financial regulation No, 3210(v), Evidence of Submission of copies to Auditor General Office for the Federation.
They are also to present to the House, Evidence justifying non-cooperation in respect of constitutional Checks conducted based on Section 85(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The 17 companies had failed to appear before the House committee on several occasions, even after threats of invoking the provisions of the constitution to issue a warrant of arrest.
However, the management of the NNPC Limited had assured the Committee that the companies would honour the invitation and asked that the letter of summon be channeled through the Group Managing Director who would lead them on days allotted to them.